Stephanie Pietrzak
INTERNATIONAL POLKA ASSOCIATION
Promoting
Polka Music Everywhere
Stephanie Pietrzak
Living Category - Inducted 2010
It all started at
the age of seven when Stephanie was being taught
the accordion by her mom, Wanda, and the Polish vocals by
her
grandmother, Stephanie. This created an interest in listening
to
Polish music. While Henry her father was off bowling, Wanda
took
Stephanie to see Li’l Wally when he was in town. When Stephanie
saw
Li'l Wally play the concertina and sing "Hello My Kejda,"
she was
fascinated with this instrument. Stephanie no longer wanted
to play
the accordion.
Wanda took Stephanie to Chicago to look for a concertina.
They went
to Jay Jay on Kedzie Avenue. Li’l Wally owned this music
store and
was showing them some concertinas that were in the store.
Stephanie
spotted a red one on display in a showcase that she fell
in love
with. It was the only one that she wanted and Li'l Wally
said this
one was not for sale because it was the concertina that
he played on
the Lawrence Welk Show. Because Stephanie would only settle
on this
one particular concertina Li'l Wally asked Wanda if Stephanie
played
any instrument. Wanda answered "Yes, she plays the accordion"
and
Li'l Wally had her play one. Li’l Wally was impressed with
how she
played and said she will learn the concertina and
do very well with
it. He ended up letting Wanda purchase
that concertina and Stephanie
still plays it today.
Marion Lush was playing in Buffalo and Stephanie and her
parents
went to see him. During the show, Marion was told that Stephanie
plays the concertina and Wanda sings with her. He asked
them if they
would join him on stage. Stephanie’s dad went home and
brought the
concertina back, and it all began. The crowd automatically
crowded
the front of the
stage and wanted more. Marion took them the next
day to Dover, New Jersey, and they were a big success.
As time went on, they started a polka band called Wanda
& Stephanie
& the Golden Stars. Henry was their driver and set up
man for all
the equipment. Eddie Blazonczyk heard the girls play and
asked them
if they would record on Bel-Aire Records. Eddie was the
drummer on
all the recordings and many other Chicago musicians such
as Lenny
Gomulka and Eddie Madura. After recording their first album,
Eddie
asked them to write some original materials. "Come Back
My Johnny"
was their first hit and many more originals followed. "Lover
Oh
Lover" became the #1 song and also the IPA Song of the Year.
Thirty-six years later, Stephanie received a telephone call
from the
producers of "Deal Or No Deal" and asked if they could play
her song
on international and national TV. Many great albums followed.
They
also won "Best Female Vocalists" in 1973 and 1977 from the
IPA.
During their travels in the Pittsburg, Pa., area, a top
local
promoter, Joe Fiedor, proclaimed the girls as "America's
Polka
Sweethearts."
In 1980, Henry passed away and Wanda & Stephanie took
time
off from the music scene. A year later, they decided that
traveling
would be too hard,
so they went back to playing locally in the Buffalo area.
They played at Melody Fair with Bobby Vinton several times.
Their
unique style and sound generated enthusiasm from out of
town
promoters and their traveling with the top bands started.
They
toured extensively across the United States and Canada playing
the
largest ballrooms, polka conventions and festivals. They
performed
on numerous radio
and television broadcasts and were featured
entertainers on Caribbean cruises. They played with The
Versatones,
Marion Lush and Li’l Wally to record breaking crowds.
Their success continued until 1996, when Wanda suddenly
passed away.
Stephanie decided that she would not continue on without
her mother
by her side. Two years into retirement, she received a call
from her
close and dearest friend, Eddie Blazonczyk, Sr., After a
long
conversation and encouragement, he convinced her to play
the
concertina and write a song about her mother. She agreed
to write
and record one more album "Tribute To Wanda, I'll Always
Love You."
Well, wouldn't you know that it became #1 and promoters
started
tributes to Wanda. Stephanie had no plans on returning to
the polka
music field, however, not being able to refuse the promoters
she
continues on in her mother’s memory. Stephanie decided to
made a few
appearances. Because the fans continued with the same excitement
as
when she played with her mom, she started a new band called
"Stephanie & Her Honky Band." But, once again, Stephanie
did not
want to travel or play full time. Then Edward Haniszewski
Sr. came
into the picture and became her manager and driver, as he
wanted her
to continue with her career.
After recording the "I'll Always Love You" album on the
Sunshine
Label in late 1998, she recorded a live album in the Western
New
York area with a special guest appearance by Eddie Blazonczyk,
Sr.
He sang and played drums with Stephanie’s
Honky Band. Stephanie
fulfilled her mother’s dream of recording a live album.
In 1999 a great honor was bestowed on Wanda, as she was
inducted
into the IPA Polka Music Hall of Fame. Stephanie went to
Chicago to
accept this award in her mother’s behalf, which was the
hardest
thing she had to do, knowing her mother could not be there
to
receive it. Also during that year, another great honor was
bestowed
as Wanda & Stephanie were the first polka entertainers
to be
inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Stephanie then returned to Chicago where her and her mom
Wanda first
began their successful run recording on the Bel-Aire label.
Stephanie put together an ultimate honky band with Chicago
musicians
for her recordings and road tours. She handpicked the Chicago
musicians, such as Eddie Madura, Jimmy Sierzega, Tony Blazonczyk,
Wayne Sienkowski and Nigel Kurdziel. At this point not only
is she a
bandleader, vocalist and entertainer, but also a composer,
songwriter and producer. Besides playing the concertina,
Stephanie
plays the drums, accordion and piano. Stephanie now travels
the
country playing polka festivals, conventions and major events
and
entertaining thousands of people.
Stephanie then ventured into her own radio show, by 2010
celebrating
ten years of playing the honky-dyno music she loves. Also,
her show
is heard on http://Polkasonline.com .
In 2005, 2007 and 2008, the IPA awarded Stephanie "Best
Female
Vocalist" and in 2009 she received "Best Song of the Year"
for her
song that she composed, "Polka Memories." In 2006, she composed
another #1 hit from her famous quote "I Can't Hear You."
After all the years of hard work and two successful
careers, one as
a mother/daughter team known as Wanda & Stephanie, and
the other as
a solo entertainer, Stephanie finally reached the pinnacle
of her
career and was inducted into the "Polka Music Hall of Fame."
Wanda "Koziol" PietrzakI INTERNATIONAL POLKA ASSOCIATION
Promoting Polka Music Everywhere
Wanda "Koziol" Pietrzak
Deceased Category
- Inducted 1999
Wanda S. Pietrzak was a singer who achieved national acclaim
in
polka music's only mother and daughter team, "Wanda and
Stephanie".
As half of "Wanda and Stephanie", known as "American's Polka
Sweethearts," she
recorded many albums. She scored a #1 polka hit in
1971 with a song she wrote, "Lover Oh Lover."
Wanda Koziol was born in Lackawanna, New York and was raised
in
Chicago in the musical family of Frank and Stephanie Koziol.
Wanda
developed her love for Polka music as a child listening
to her
mother sing. In the 50's Wanda and her mother sang and played
at
parties. Wanda was a versatile preformer and played various
instruments such as the accordion, piano and bass.
Wanda and her family then moved to Buffalo, New York where
she met
her husband, Henry Pietrzak, then daughter Stephanie was
born and
showed the same musical talent. Wanda taught her how to
play the
accordion. Stephanie then taught herself the concertina
and
eventually her father developed the "Wanda and Stephanie
Show". This
mother and daughter team soon became the "Golden Stars".
and were
named "The Newest Sensation Throughout the Nation" and "America's
Polka Sweethearts."
Their big break came when they were discovered by polka
star Marion
Lush at the Hearthstone Manor in Depew, New York during
the 1967
International Polka Festival.
Proponents of the honky Chicago polka style, they soon became
part
of the contingent of the top Chicago bands that included:
Marion
Lush, Eddie Blazonczyk and Li'l Wally. They recorded their
first
album with Blazonczyk in Chicago on Bel-Aire records. There
after
many albums followed.
The first hit was a song Wanda wrote called "Come Back My
Johnny",
and they had a number of polka hits that Wanda wrote after
the
success of "Lover
Oh Lover," such as "Kiss Me Sweetheart," "My
Polish Lover," "Knock Knock," "I'll Be Back," and the list
goes on.
Through the years she wrote a lot of great songs with Stephanie.
Wanda twice was honored as Best Female Vocalist by International
Polka Association in Chicago. Throughout the years she received
many
awards, citations and plaques for their songs and entertainment.
Wanda was a bandleader, singer, songwriter, composer and
entertainer
for over 30 years. She knew how to get a seated crowd standing
IO
deep in front of the stage. Wanda always loved the performing
end of
the business. She was always out-going to her fans and loved
being
with the crowd, getting them involved in the music.
They toured extensively across the United States and Canada
playing
the largest ballrooms, polka conventions and festivals.
They
performed on numerous radio and television broadcasts and
were
featured entertainers on Caribbean cruises. They shared
the stage
with Bobby Vinton many times at Melody Fair in North Tonawanda,
New
York. Their outstanding talent was the topic of Buffalo's
leading
new publication when it headlined "Wanda and Stephanie"
on the cover
and centerfold.
Wanda gave her last performance two weeks before she died
suddenly
on March 2, 1996. Although this award is to honor Wanda
it is
impossible to separate the "Wanda and Stephanie" team in
the mind of
polka lovers. Wanda will always be remembered and loved
for her
songs, entertainment and great
love of Polka music. The happiness
she brought to the Polish Music lovers is Legendary, and
will live
on always.
