Don Peachey

Last updated

Don Peachey
Born1933 (age 90–91)
Burnett, Wisconsin, United States
Genres Polka, waltz foxtrot, swing
Occupation(s)Musician, recording artist
Instrument(s) Accordion
Labels Cadet

Don Peachey (born 1933) is an American band leader, accordionist, musician and recording artist who has been performing and recording since the 1950s with The Don Peachey Band, aka Don Peachey and His Orchestra. [1] Peachey was elected to the International Polka Hall of Fame in 2011 by the International Polka Association. [1] [2]

Contents

Early years

Don Peachey is from Burnett, Wisconsin. He started playing the accordion at age 14, taking lessons from the Beaver Dam Music Center. While he was a junior in high school, he formed his own polka band and their first paying engagement was at the Fairwater Civic Center in the Village of Fairwater, Wisconsin [3] in June 1951, the same year Peachey graduated from Horicon High School, Horicon, Wisconsin. He then spent two years in the Army, serving in the 1st Cavalry Division and stationed in Japan. He then returned to his home in Burnett. [1] and resumed his musical career. Peachey released his first recording in 1957. [4] The group has continued to perform and record for over 50 years. [1] [3] [4]

Recording artist/performer

Don Peachey has led music groups by two names during his professional recording and performing career; Don Peachey and His Orchestra and more recently, The Don Peachey Band. Peachey has recorded 18 Albums/CDs, including a popular novelty song called "Horsie Keep Your Tail Up." [4] Peachey made an early name for himself in the late 1950s and early 1960s as Billboard Magazine frequently covered the band through its "Talent Topics" section covering bands' touring and performing schedule [5] [6] [7] [8] and also gave the songs, No No Polka and Morning Star Polka 4 Star Reviews. [9] In 1959 Billboard Magazine labeled the band's recordings of the Jigsaw Polka 45 RPM record as "Sprightly... Polka themes given a springy instrumental treatment." [10] The band has toured the United States from Wisconsin to Texas for over 50 years. [11] [12] They appeared with Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News during a Patriotic Special and have performed at the largest Polka Venues in the United States. [1] [13] Don Peachey has said he believes his success is directly related to how much he practices even after over 50 years of performing. As Peachey stated "(I) heartily agree with piano player Victor Borge's observation," "If I don't practice for a day, I can tell the difference, If I don't practice for two days my critics can tell the difference, and if I don't practice for three days, my audience can tell the difference." [3] Don Peachey has been a guest performer on RFD-TV with Molly B [14] [15] and numerous other telecasts over the years. [16] Peachey helped start Volksfest in Waupun, Wisconsin. His band averages one to three engagements a week and has five to six members, including his son John Peachey. [3]

Awards

Peachey was elected "Bandleader of the Year" by the Wisconsin Orchestra Leaders Association in 1973 [11] [17] and was inducted into the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame twice in 1998 as a recipient of both the Lifetime Achievement and the Senior awards. [11] [18] In 2011 he was inducted into the International Polka Hall of Fame in the "Pioneer" category for "significant contributions in the advancement of polka music." [1] [19] [20] In 2011, Peachey received a special citation from the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin recognizing his achievements and accomplishments in the music field. [21] He is listed in The Heritage Registry of Who's Who. [22]

Discography

The Don Peachey Band [23] [24] [25]

45 RPM records

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polka</span> Style of music and dance of Bohemian origin

Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Welk</span> American bandleader and TV impresario (1903–1992)

Lawrence Welk was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, television, and live-performance audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fats Domino</span> American pianist and singer (1928–2017)

Antoine Dominique Domino Jr., known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orleans to a French Creole family, Domino signed to Imperial Records in 1949. His first single "The Fat Man" is cited by some historians as the first rock and roll single and the first to sell more than 1 million copies. Domino continued to work with the song's co-writer Dave Bartholomew, contributing his distinctive rolling piano style to Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" (1952) and scoring a string of mainstream hits beginning with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955). Between 1955 and 1960, he had eleven Top 10 US pop hits. By 1955, five of his records had sold more than a million copies, being certified gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardust (1927 song)</span> 1927 song by Hoagy Carmichael

"Stardust" is a 1927 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish. It has been recorded as an instrumental or vocal track over 1,500 times. Carmichael developed a taste for jazz while attending Indiana University. He formed his own band and played at local events in Indiana and Ohio. Following his graduation, Carmichael moved to Florida to work for a law firm. He left the law sector and returned to Indiana, after learning of the success of one of his compositions. In 1927, after leaving a local university hangout, Carmichael started to whistle a tune that he later developed further. When composing the song, he was inspired by the end of one of his love affairs, and on the suggestion of a university classmate, he decided on its title. The same year, Carmichael recorded an instrumental version of the song for Gennett Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Dorsey</span> American jazz musician and band leader (1904–1957)

James Francis Dorsey was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You " and "It's The Dreamer In Me". His other major recordings were "Tailspin", "John Silver", "So Many Times", "Amapola", "Brazil ", "Pennies from Heaven" with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Frances Langford, "Grand Central Getaway", and "So Rare". He played clarinet on the seminal jazz standards "Singin' the Blues" in 1927 and the original 1930 recording of "Georgia on My Mind", which were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ventures</span> American instrumental band

The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the 1960s. While their popularity in the United States waned in the 1970s, the group remains especially revered in Japan, where they have toured regularly. The classic lineup of the band consisted of Wilson, Bogle, Nokie Edwards, and Mel Taylor (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunny Berigan</span> American jazz trumpeter and bandleader (1908–1942)

Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the age of 33 from cirrhosis. Although he composed some jazz instrumentals such as "Chicken and Waffles" and "Blues", Berigan was best known for his virtuoso jazz trumpeting. His 1937 classic recording "I Can't Get Started" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Guy</span> American blues guitarist and singer

George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer. In the 1960s, Guy played with Muddy Waters as a session guitarist at Chess Records and began a musical partnership with blues harp virtuoso Junior Wells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myron Floren</span> American accordionist (1919–2005)

Myron Floren was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1980. Floren came to prominence primarily from his regular appearances on the weekly television series in which Lawrence Welk dubbed him as "the happy Norwegian," which was also attributed to Peter Friello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice White</span> American musician (1941–2016)

Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.

"You Are My Sunshine" is a standard of American old-time country music and one of the official state songs of Louisiana. Its original writer is disputed. According to the performance rights organisation BMI, by the year 2000 the song had been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages.

Jesse Albert Stone was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. His best-known composition as Calhoun was "Shake, Rattle and Roll".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Midnighters</span> American vocal group

The Midnighters were an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan. They were an influential group in the 1950s and early 1960s, with many R&B hit records. They were also notable for launching the career of lead singer Hank Ballard and the worldwide dance craze the Twist. Between 1953 and 1962 the Midnighters had several hits on the U.S. pop and R&B charts. Their hits included the million-selling Billboard Top 10 pop hits "Finger Poppin' Time", and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go". The Midnighters also had 13 top 10 R&B hits, including three that reached number 1. Their top 10 R&B hits included "Work with Me, Annie", "It's Love Baby ", "Annie Had a Baby", "The Hoochi Coochi Coo", "Teardrops on Your Letter", "Get It", "The Float" and "Nothing but Good". They received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award in 1992 and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. The Midnighters are also noted for achieving a music industry milestone in 1960, by becoming the first group in history to place 3 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. The group's lead singer, Hank Ballard, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Midnighters as a group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Famous Flames</span> American R&B vocal group

The Famous Flames were an American rhythm and blues, soul vocal group founded in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1953 by Bobby Byrd. James Brown first began his career as a member of the Famous Flames, emerging as the lead singer by the time of their first appearance in a professional recording, "Please, Please, Please", in 1956.

Walter Solek or Walt Solek was a Polish-American lyricist, musician, performer, and radio show host who introduced English-language lyrics into polka music in the United States. Solek was known as the "Clown Prince of Polka" and died on April 1, 2005, at the age of 94.

LaVerne Donald "Verne" Meisner was an American polka musician born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin. He was inducted into five halls of fame, including the International Polka Association Hall of Fame as a "Living Legend" in 1989. He is best known for the songs "Memories of Vienna" and "El Rio Drive."

Roman 'Romy' Louis Gosz was a popular and commercially successful polka musician in the upper Midwest. Gosz's music featured the Bohemian brass style and appealed to the many ethnic groups found throughout the region.

"Sweet Sue, Just You" is an American popular song of 1928, composed by Victor Young with lyrics by Will J. Harris. Popular versions in 1928 were by Earl Burtnett and by Ben Pollack.

Lawrence Duchow was an American bandleader recorded on the RCA Victor label from 1932 to 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Chesky</span> Musical artist

Larry Chesky, born Lawrence J. Ciszewski, was an American accordion player, Polka band leader, inductee in the International Polka Hall of Fame, and manager of the Rex Records label.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Don Peachey". Internationalpolka.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Don Peachey Inducted into the International Polka Hall of Fame". www.thecherokeean.com. August 3, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Just Peachey : Beaver Dam Daily Citizen". Wiscnews.com. August 5, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Don Peachy". Polkamart.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  5. ↑ Billboard Magazine. March 23, 1963. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ Billboard Magazine. March 23, 1960. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Billboard". May 1961.
  8. ↑ Billboard Magazine. August 29, 1964. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  9. ↑ Billboard Magazine. December 25, 1961. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  10. ↑ Billboard Magazine. June 29, 1959. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Tom Brusky. "Don Peachey". Wisconsin Polka Music. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Don Peachey at Schroeder Hall". The Victoria (Texas) Advocate. March 7, 1991.
  13. ↑ "Feed mill owner inducted into International Polka Hall of Fame". Wisfarmer.com. January 12, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Mollie B Polka Party | Rural TV Music About Videos". iHigh.com. October 30, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Mollie B Polka Party This Weekend". Rfdtv.com. August 19, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Don Peachy Band". Mad Toast Live!. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Wisconsin Orchestra Leaders of the Year". Wiorchestraleaders.com. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Inductees". Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Hall of Fame". Internationalpolka.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Don Peachey inducted into Polka Hall". Iwantthenews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Don Peachy". Wisconsin Orchestra Leaders Association. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Don Peachey Orchestra". Heritage Registry of Who's Who. March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Don Peachey". Polka Connection. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  24. ↑ "That's All Rite Mama: Don Peachey on Domino". September 27, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  25. ↑ "FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Polka Discography". Folk Library Index. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.