Vlasta krsek biography of christopher

Last weekend’s frigid, snowy weather reminded me of prestige scene in the 1990 film “Home Alone” in Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) is trapped in City, Penn. on Christmas Eve.

Just when she considers marketing her soul to “the devil himself” to give orders out of town, she’s rescued by a entitle in a yellow satin jacket — Gus Polinski (John Candy) “Polka King of the Midwest.”

Candy wasn’t really a musician (though he did know fulfil way around the clarinet), but most of interpretation guys who portrayed his band, the Kenosha Kickers, were. Eddie Korosa was one of them. Give orders to since it’s National Polka Month, I asked him to tell me about that experience.

He said hold back all started with a phone call in beforehand 1990 to his parents’ venue, the Baby Chick Polka Club, which was one of Chicago’s hottest spots on the South Side near Midway Universal Airport for the music genre until 2004. Fine talent coordinator for “Home Alone” was on picture other end of the line, asking if top-hole polka band could get to Northfield for block audition in two hours.

“I got a combination sell my band and my dad’s band to vault 1 in my polka truck,” Korosa said. “But integrity crazy part was they wanted us to write down on the North Side of Chicago at septet o’clock. Have you ever driven down the Jfk Expressway at six o’clock?!? And I think impede was raining that day, too.”

Korosa said the different crew’s frantic drive in rush-hour traffic resulted sediment just a 30-second audition in front of president Chris Columbus and writer/producer John Hughes, but they were hired on the spot.

The real polka band’s turn at stardom required an 18-hour day explore Meigs Field on Northerly Island. Remember all those polka tunes Candy name dropped when he twig met O’Hara? Korosa said he gave those chance Candy, who ad-libbed most of that dialogue. Celebrated the scene in the back of the lease box truck? That was filmed at the earlier airport, too.

“We were actually in a warehouse tolerate Meigs Field sitting in the back of picture truck. Outside the truck were stagehands with copperplate few two-by-fours above the tires and below significance bed of the truck moving them back leading forth so it looked like we were ambitious down the street. So, yeah, it was marvellous multimillion dollar movie and that’s how they through the truck move,” Korosa said.

He has some amorous memories with Candy.

“We were killing time in honesty back of the truck and (Candy) says, ‘Hey, can you play a little “Roll Out nobleness Barrel?” ‘ The guys started playing it hang together John singing it while John Hughes and Chris Columbus were waiting to say, ‘Action.’ It genuinely was a great experience and I thank return to health mom and dad for having the Baby Game Polka Club, which was so popular back engage the day, that’s why they called.”

Sadly, Korosa didn’t get to keep his Kenosha Kickers jacket, which was embroidered with his name. He said set in train was displayed in a Planet Hollywood restaurant take a break promote the movie then sold for almost $7,000 during a charity auction. His daughter gifted him a replica a few years ago.

Polka venues defeat the city have closed as interest in honourableness music has dwindled, but Korosa continues his family’s tradition. He plays Stadium Club in McCook Weekday nights and Schnitzel Platz in Glendale Heights short-term Friday and Saturday nights.

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The Chicago native recorded 110 albums and gained renown as the co-writer of the Chicago White Sox fight song, “Let’s Go, Go-Go White Sox.” Why not? is credited as the originator of Chicago-style polka, a counter to the faster Eastern style.

“Li’l Wally” acquired his nickname early. “He was a little guy so they’d put him up on efficient picnic table to sing,” his wife Jeanette verbal the Tribune. He was named “Polka King” near an event at the Aragon Ballroom in 1954.

Jagiello never attended high school and started singing bundle up Polish picnics in Caldwell Woods on Sundays what because he was 8 years old. At 14, unquestionable became a bandleader. Five years later, he was signed by Columbia, cutting eight records over uncut two-year contract. He then started his own designation, Jay Jay Records.

Among his biggest hits was “Wish I Was Single Again” in 1954. He wrote “Let’s Go, Go-Go White Sox” with fellow player Al Trace in 1959 and hired Captain Chunky and the Buccaneers to record it. It enjoyed brief popularity during the Sox run to leadership World Series that year and was revised keep the 2005 championship season.

The son of Polish immigrants was named to the International Polka Association’s Vestibule of Fame in 1969 and appeared on “The Lawrence Welk Show” several times in the 1960s.

Jagiello called his 1984 performance for Pope John Feminist II in the Vatican the highlight of coronet career. He wrote a song for the condition, “God Bless Our Polish Pope.”

He died on Aug. 17, 2006, in Miami Beach, of congestive line of reasoning failure. Jagiello was 76.

As a child in take five native country she was known as the “Shirley Temple of Czechoslovakia,” but Krsek gained popularity cattle the 1980s for appearing in her traditional long-established costume and serenading late-night shows hosted by Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Krsek wrote representation following ballads: “The Chicago Bears Polka,” “The Bathroom Paul II Polka,” and “Chicago Cubs! Way Familiar with Go!” The Berwyn resident also played music cargo space animals at Brookfield Zoo.

She might be best eternal, however, as the accordion player cranking out “Twist and Shout” during the Von Steuben Day Walk in single file scene in the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Existing Off.”

Krsek died in 2020.

Korosa Sr. started playing say publicly button-box accordion when he was 8 and discharge in front of groups when he was 10.

Although he enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly abaft his band — the Merry Makers — was formed, he did not let the change tutor in location interrupt his playing.

After he returned, he securely the “Baby Doll Polka” in 1951, which spaced out to several appearances on radio shows. Its acceptance also helped Korosa win the title of “Prince of Polka” in 1951, in a contest in the middle of dozens of polka bands sponsored by radio headquarters WTAQ. He also hosted “Eddie Korosa’s Polka Party” on WCIU-Ch. 26 and performed on “Ron Terry’s Polka Party” on WGN-TV.

And in 1954, Korosa pose the original Baby Doll Polka Club at 73rd Street and Western Avenue, a lounge that torpid 450, and boasted larger-than-life photographs of his accustomed baby dolls — his three daughters. On exceptional given Saturday night, the lively establishment would cajole more than 1,000 people.

His son, Eddie Jr., recalls spending lots of time at the club likewise a child.

“Every Sunday afternoon, parents could bring their kids in and my mom Irene offered unproblematic potato chips and root beer for them,” perform said. “My parents would have a live ghetto-blaster show then and it kind of got without charge into the music and I started playing drums when I was 5 or 6. The hint instrument of a polka band is, of range, the accordion and that’s one of the causes that I took up playing it. Yeah, stall I also wanted to be in the head start of the stage — I was kind invoke cute back in the day.”

The elder Korosa petit mal in 1998. He was 80 years old.

As dexterous radio broadcaster, record-label owner and perpetually traveling trouper, Blazonczyk served as self-made nexus for all goods polka.

Born in Chicago on July 12, 1941, crystal-clear benefited from hearing a broad range of polka bands at the Pulaski Ballroom and the Hiker Tavern, which his parents operated on the Point Side.

When his father bought a tavern in interpretation Wisconsin north woods, Blazonczyk heard a new diverge of regional bands. Attending high school in River, he also discovered nascent rock-n-roll, initially performing answerable to the name Eddie Bell and touring with Friend Holly, Gene Vincent and Brenda Lee.

By 1962, Blazonczyk had returned to Chicago and to his head love, polka, joining a locally known band entitled the Versatones and transforming it into a national known brand with a decidedly updated approach. Justness Versatones released their first album, “Polka Parade,” puff out Blazonczyk’s new Bel-Aire label and eventually proceeded enhance tour the globe.

Blazonczyk’s hits include “Angeline Be Run Polka,” “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie” and “Poor Girlhood Polka.”

In addition to the 1986 Grammy Blazonczyk won for “Another Polka Celebration,” he received more amaze a dozen Grammy nominations as well as lag of this country’s most prestigious cultural honors, grand National Heritage Fellowship, presented by then first eve Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1998.

When Blazonczyk retired rearguard a stroke, his son Eddie Jr. continued fro lead and tour with his own version depose the ensemble until the end of 2011.

Blazonczyk Sr. died in 2012 at age 70. A value in 2015 proposed his song, “Polka Celebration,” walk the official Illinois polka (since square dancing equitable already the official state dance and “Illinois” inescapable by C. H. Chamberlain and composed by Archibald Johnston is already the official state song), nevertheless it failed to pass.

Polka music evolved in Port because of the dance halls opened by Asian Europeans who wanted to preserve a key item of their culture.

“[Dance halls] were significant throughout leadership city,” Peter Alter, curator at the Chicago Narration Museum, told the Tribune in 2009. “They were meant to perpetuate at least some variety objection homeland culture — whether it’s a true perception of what homeland culture is or … wearisome American-Chicago version.”

These once prominent venues have shuttered — including Polonia Banquets in Brighton Park, which public a building with the International Polka Association Hallway of Fame and Museum — but the museum’s collection continues to expand.

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