by Jimmy Sturr
Trip to Poland
Another Trip to Poland
1982
If You’re Polish and You’re Proud
Fiddles on Fire
1983
Pure Country (with The Nashville Saxes)
1984
Live! In Person at the Playboy Club
1985
Knee Deep in Polka Music
I’m Sturr Crazy
On Tour
1986
Sturr-i-Fic Polkas!
First Class Polkas! (with Myron Floren)
I Remember Warsaw (with The Jordanaires)
1987
Please Have Them Play a Polka Just for Me (with The Jordanaires)
The Greatest Hits of Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra
1988
Born to Polka
1989
All in My Love for You
1990
Live at Gilley’s!
1992
Sturr It Up (with The Jordanaires)
Presents Clarinet & Accordion Magic
A Jimmy Sturr Christmas
1994
The Best of Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, Volume 2
More Magic, Volume II
1995
Polka Your Troubles Away (with The Jordanaires)
Polka Favorites
1996
I Love to Polka (with The Jordanaires)
Polka! All Night Long (with Willie Nelson and The Jordanaires)
1997
Super Polka Party
Jimmy Sturr’s Polka Favorites (with Myron Floren)
1998
Living on Polka Time (with Bill Anderson and Flaco Jiminez)
Touched by a Polka (with Mel Tillis)
Dance with Me (with The Oak Ridge Boys and The Rocco Sisters)
Life Is a Polka
1999
Polkapalooza (with Flaco Jiminez)
2000
Primetime Polkas (with Willie Nelson, Mel Tillis, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Jordanaires, Mel Tillis, and The Rocco Sisters)
83 Giant Polka Hits & Medleys
2001
Gone Polka (with Willie Nelson and Brenda Lee)
Jimmy Sturr Polka
2002
Top of the World (with Arlo Guthrie and Rhonda Vincent)
2003
Let’s Polka ’Round (with Charlie Daniels, Béla Fleck, and “Boots” Randolph)
2004
Rock ’n’ Polka (with Lee Greenwood, Duane Eddy, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Larry Chance & The Earls, and Blue Highway)
2005
Grammy Gold
2006
Shake, Rattle and Polka! (with Willie Nelson, Delbert McClinton, Duane Eddy, Frankie Ford, and The Duprees)
The Greatest Hits of Polka (with Myron Floren, “Boots” Randolph, The Rocco Sisters, Mel Tillis, and Willie Nelson)
2007
Polka in Paradise (with Bobby Vinton)
Come Share the Wine (with The Jordanaires)
2008
Let the Whole World Sing (with Ray Price, Charlie Prose, and Raúl Malo)
2009
Polka Cola: Music That Refreshes (with Bill Anderson)
A Tribute to the Legends of Polka Music
Polka Party
2011
Not Just Another Polka
Legends of Polka Music
2012
Polka Is My Life
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, a few special thank yous:
The first time I recorded in Nashville, my engineer was Tom Pick, a pairing set up by my friend Danny Davis, something that was a thrill, because at the time, Tom had thirty-two gold albums to his name. That was about forty years ago; today I consider him not only one of my greatest musical collaborators but one of my closest friends.
I met Chicagoan Keith Stras about thirty years ago, and he and I are great friends. He’s done so much for me, both in and out of Chicago, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
Special thanks to Patrick Goetsch for making us a part of RFD-TV family.
In 1989 we were hired at what was then The Aladdin in Las Vegas, and the bookers asked me to bring aboard an opening band. I invited a group from Youngstown, Ohio, called the Joe Fedorchak Orchestra. Joe’s drummer was named Carmen White, and Carmen’s cousin was named Joe Donofrio. Joe’s wife, vocalist Kathy Rocco, and Kathy’s singing sister Connie were performing at the same time. When they came to hear Carmen, they heard us; later that night, we returned the favor. Since then, Joe and Kathy have become among our closest business associates and among my closest friends. If you’ve ever heard my Orchestra perform at a casino, you can probably thank Joe.
I don’t remember how I became friends with Tommy Lynch and his wife, Mona, but they’re very, very special friends. Once in a while, Tommy will even drive our tour bus.
Tommy Conklin grew up across the street from me. About seven years ago, I asked him if he’d like to come on the road and give us a hand. He used to stand by the soundman, and he eventually picked up a few things, enough that he became an expert. To this day, Tommy travels the world with us, making certain we sound good.
Twins, former country singers, and associates of the Grand Ole Opry, Jack and Jerry Calhoun own two bus-leasing companies and supply buses to many of the biggest acts in the world. I hooked up with them back in the mid-1980s when I bought my first tour bus. The day we first met, Jack took me out to lunch. We then went back to his office, where he left me sitting alone for forty-five minutes. Eventually, concerned that I was going to miss my flight, I asked the secretary where he went. She told me, “Jack went golfing.” Nonetheless, we’re still great friends, and once in a while, I even let Jack and Jerry perform a couple of shows with us. Great guys.
Ben Gilman was our congressman for almost thirty years. He did so much for our area and is loved by just everybody. Over the last decade, we’ve made it a point to have dinner two or three times a week, and I cherish those meals.
Nobody has done more for me than my best friend, Gussie Koisor. Nobody’s even come close. Without him, I’m not sure where I’d be. He’s our band manager and our bus driver, as well as a partner in my record label, my travel agency, and my polka company, and takes care of business better than anyone ever could. We grew up together, played sports together, caused trouble together, and we’ll be partners together until the end.
Thanks to Barbara James, Chris Caffery, Bill Anderson, Doug Ferony, Willie Nelson, John Michael Whitby, Mickey Raphael, Al Henson, Doyle Brown, all my former bandmates throughout the years, Joe Timmer, John Zobel, Arlene Alape, Charlie Wing, Tommy Gallagher, Terry Baker, Orville Slutsky, Ken Irwin, Ed Lehner, Austin James, Janine Adamczyk, Pete Roden, Valley Sturr, Kenny James, Jennifer James, Gene Muvahill, and Bobby Vinton. Also, a special thank-you to the team at BenBella Books, especially Glenn Yeffeth, Debbie Harmsen, Adrianne Lang, and Erin Kelley, as well as my literary agent, Steve Harris. In memoriam, I send my love to Dan Dempsey, Wes Oler, and Warren Bills.
And finally, nobody could ever ask for better parents. They stuck behind me in everything I ever did and always came to see the band play. They passed away when they were in their nineties; they’re buried in a cemetery across the street from the house where I currently live (the same house in which I grew up), a lot that used to be Sturr property. They’ll always be close to me both physically and in my heart.