|
Frank Liszka
Living Category - Inducted 1998
Polka music speaks to the soul of Frank Liszka like
no other music. Since the early 1960s going to local dances, Frank
discovered his lifelong ambition, to become a polka musician. Following
the examples of his polka heroes, Marion Lush, Li'l Wally, and Eddie
Blazonczyk, Sr., Frank set out to become an integral part of the
development and the play of polka music as we know it today.
 Born
in Greenville, Pennsylvania on January 11, 1953 to Frank and Nancy
Liszka, he is the oldest of nine children. Frank started playing trumpet
in grade school and continued throughout high school. At age 13, he
started to take an interest in polka music and credit his father for
promoting the interest. At that time his father was laid up for many
months following surgery and decided to buy a concertina. His father
would coax Frank to play the trumpet along with him, and before long,
Frank was hooked.
Playing polkas came natural to Frank and he also
enjoyed going to dances at Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio. It was there
that he met other young musicians who wanted to play and form a band
too. At age 16, Frank met John and Tom Sniezek, as well as Bobby Clavert
and they formed the Harmony Sharps band from New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Frank played with the Harmony Sharps for five years at mostly weddings
and club dates.
During this time he met Polka Hall of Famer, Bruno Mikos, who asked
Frank if he was willing to fill in and back up Li'l Wally. Frank jumped
at the chance and soon was on the road with Li'l Wally for three years.
In 1975, Frank, Bruno, Rich Benkowski and Bill Siegal
formed the Harmony Stars. It was shortly after this union that this band
started making waves felt nationally. In 1979, the United States Polka
Association awarded the group the Favorite Polka Recording for the album
"People Pleasing Polkas".
Late in 1979, Frank and five other musicians decided
that they wanted to try something a little more progressive and the band
called The Brass Connection was formed. Almost immediately the band was
one of the most popular bands on the polka circuit. Requested for
appearances came pouring in. In 1981, the members of the USPA voted and
presented The Brass Connection with the Favorite Band award. They were
also presented with the Favorite Polka Album award for "A Winning
Combination" and named "My Sweet Melinda," a song written by Frank, as
the #1 song.
In 1984, Frank's magic pen struck again when he wrote
"Your Big Brown Eyes Polka" and TBC again became award winners. The year
1985 was no exception because an old country tune called "Got No
Reason", which Frank had rearranged, was named the #1 song for 1985 by
both the USPA and IPA.
In 1987, TBC disbanded and Frank moved to Baltimore
seeking better employment opportunities. In 1988, he joined The Boys
from Baltimore. By 1989, Frank and the members of The Boys found
themselves in the winners circle at the USPA awards banquet because of
their album "Boys Will Be Boys" which was named the #1 album for 1989.
They also received an award for favorite band. It was also during this
time that Frank and The Boys appeared in the movie, "He Said, She Said".
They were to appear in the wedding scene. The producer needed a song to
do the chicken dance to, but not the original, due to copyright
infringements. Frank had a song the next day titled "The Cluck Cluck
Polka."
In 1990, The Boys disbanded and Frank moved to
Cleveland and married his sweetheart, Denise. In 1991, Frank reorganized
TBC and took over leadership of the band. It wasn't long after that, in
1993, the USPA awarded Frank and TBC the Favorite Album Award for "Blue
Magic". the year 1994 would be no different, as the USPA awarded Frank
and TBC the Favorite Album Award for "Down Through The Years".
Frankie Liszka continues performing at the helm of
TBC playing at all the major polka festivals and appearing through the
country from New England to California and from Minnesota to Florida.
Frankie Liszka has been instrumental in the way we
listen to and appreciate polka music today. To his credit, Frank has
recorded 23 albums and has written over 70 songs. Frank is without a
doubt one of the big reasons polka music is popular with the younger
generation. His songs and his music are directed to the young at heart
and you can see that by the large throngs of the younger generation who
crowd around their bandstand or the patio at Seven Springs to hear TBC
play.
On a personal note, Frank is married to wife, Denise, and at this
writing they have a son, Nicholas C. Liszka. Frank also has two other
sons, Frank A. Liszka, Jr. and Timothy P. Liszka, of whom he is very
proud. |
