Johnny Libera
Living Category – Inducted 1982
He was born on April 20, 1919, in Southbridge,
Massachusetts, where he still lives. It seems that Polka music has been
a part of his life as long as he can remember. His singing was
inherited from his mother, who was a polka contest winner in
Southbridge, twice.
In 1943, Johnny joined the U.S. Navy. After boot
training, he was assigned to the Great Lakes Basic Engineering School.
On a weekend pass, he visited his cousin in Chicago, who took him to a
dance at Pulaski Ballroom, where he met Steve Adamczyk. After
graduating from Service School, he stayed as an instructor at the same
school. He made his liberties in Chicago regularly, always attending
dances where Steve played, and eventually got to sing a few numbers with
the orchestra.
After being discharged in April, 1946, he and
Stasia Piechota set a wedding date, and were married in November of
1946. They were blessed with two children, Janice and Jackie. Janice
is married to Ed Bajgier, and they have two daughters, Bethany and
Krista. Father and daughter started dancing lessons teaching the polka,
oberek, and figure dances. Janice was married and left the area, but
Johnny continued the classes, teaching two nights a week for 8-week
periods, twice a year, and is still doing so.
Polka music rubbed off on son Jackie also, who has
been playing with various polka bands for past 12 years, and also
co-hosts some of his father’s radio shows.
On March 17, 1955, Radio Station WESO went on the
air, and Johnny’s show went on the same day. He did and still does a
bi-lingual show every Sunday. The popularity of the show prompted the
management to give him a Saturday show as well as a summer series of
“Sunset Polka Time” shows, from Monday through Friday, from May through
September. On February 1, 1979, the FM call letters were changed to
WQVR and so the format changed. Johnny’s Saturday show was dropped, his
Sunday show was switched to FM stereo broadcasting and lengthened by a
half hour. The show was aired from 10:00am until 12:00pm.
In his 27 plus years of broadcasting, he did many
remote broadcasts from area picnics and lounges. Also, for 12 years he
conducted a radiothon for the March of Dimes from Pilsudski Hall in
cooperation with the Polish American Veterans of Southbridge, raising
thousands of dollars. He also had a polka show on WNEB in Worcester for
13 years.
“Polkatively” was his by-line on a column he wrote
for the South County Advertiser and the “Weekend” edition of the
Southbridge News. He also tried his hand at writing songs, many of
which have been recorded, including the 1978 best single “Tu i Tak i
Tam” oberek. Other obereks recorded by Eddie Blazonczyk were “Two
Pretty Girls”, “Krakow”, and “Chicago”. “At the Square” and “Kasia:
polkas, and “Top of the Hill” waltz. Heavy Chicago recorded “Best Man”
and Moustache” polkas and “Lonely Girl” waltz. Bay State IV recorded
“Let’s Get Together” polka. He also wrote the Polish lyrics to “Hello
Dolly” for Al Soyka and the Polish Lyrics to “Mary Ellen“ for the
Sounds.
Radio disc jockey, columnist, vocalist, lyricist,
dance instructor, polka promoter, and Polka Music Hall of Fame Trustee
since its beginning, are some of the contributions to polka music. The
music he has loved since his early childhood. His dream—to see polka
music grow as big as Country music. They do have a lot in common. |
