James W. Sturr Jr. is an American

polka 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. History Etymology The te ...

musician,

trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baerma ...

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. His recordings have won 18 out of the 24

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s given for

Best Polka Album The Grammy Award for Best Polka Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality polka albums. Honors in several categories are ...

. Sturr's orchestra is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards, and has acquired more Grammy nominations than anyone in the history of musical polka awards.

Touring history

Sturr and his orchestra have performed at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

in New York City, Yankee Stadium and the

Palace of Culture Palace of Culture (russian: Дворец культуры, dvorets kultury, , ''wénhuà gōng'', german: Kulturpalast) or House of Culture (Polish: ''dom kultury'') is a common name ( generic term) for major club-houses (community centres) in t ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

, Poland. When touring, the band rides in Jimmy's 45-foot customized tour bus, previously owned by

Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...

Radio show

Sturr hosts a syndicated radio show on stations including

WTBQ WTBQ is an independent radio station broadcasting from Warwick, New York. The last locally-owned radio station in Orange County, New York (and one of the few in the entire Hudson Valley), WTBQ broadcasts on 1110 AM and 93.5 FM, throughout Orange ...

in his hometown of Florida, New York, the station he once owned. He also has a weekly radio show on the Rural Radio channel on SirusXM.

Discography

* ''All American Polka Festival'' * ''

All in My Love for You ''All in My Love for You'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1990, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording The Grammy Award for Best Polka Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that wa ...

'' (1990 Grammy) * ''The Best of Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra'' * ''The Big Band Polka Sound'' * ''

Born to Polka ''Born to Polka'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1989, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording. See also * Polka in the United States Polka is a music and dance style that originated in Europe in the 1830 ...

'' (1989 Grammy) * ''Come on and Dance (Live from RFD-TV)'' (2014) * ''

Come Share the Wine ''Come Share the Wine'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on August 21, 2007. In 2008, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album. Track listing # "Dancin' with Rosie" (Mecham, S ...

'' (2008 Grammy) * '' Dance with Me'' (1999 Grammy) * ''Double Magic'' * ''First Class Polkas'' * ''Forget Me Never'' * ''

Gone Polka ''Gone Polka'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records on September 25, 2001. In 2002, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album. Track listing # "Yellow Rose of Texas Polka" – 2:52 # "Sugar and Spice Polk ...

'' with

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed onl ...

(2002 Grammy) * ''Gonna be Good Times'' (2017) * ''Grammy Gold'' * ''Greatest Hits of Polka'' * '' I Love to Polka'' (1996 Grammy) * '' I Remember Warsaw'' (1987 Grammy) * ''A Jimmy Sturr Christmas'' * ''

Let the Whole World Sing ''Let the Whole World Sing'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on August 5, 2008. In 2009, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album. Track listing # "Heartaches by the Number" (Ha ...

'' (2009 Grammy) * '' Let's Polka 'Round'' with

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The De ...

Bela Fleck Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal *Bela, Janakpur, ...

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(2004 Grammy) * ''Life's a Polka'' * '' Live at Gilley's!'' (1992 Grammy) * '' Living on Polka Time'' with Bill Anderson, Flaco Jiménez (1998 Grammy) * ''Most Requested Hits'' * ''Not Just Another Polka'' * '' Please Have Them Play a Polka Just for Me'' (1988 Grammy) * '' Polka! All Night Long'' with

(1997 Grammy) * ''Polka Christmas'' * ''Polka Christmas in My Home Town'' * ''Polka Cola (Music That Refreshes)'' with Bill Anderson (2009) * ''Polka Fever'' (1978) * '' Polka in Paradise'' with

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is a American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid trib ...

(2007 Grammy) * ''Polka is My Life'' * ''Polka Party'' * ''Polkapalooza'' * ''Primetime Polkas'' * ''Pure Country'' * ''Pure Polka'' * ''Rock 'N' Polka'' * ''Saturday Night Polka'' * '' Shake, Rattle and Polka!'' (2006 Grammy) * ''Stir Up a Musical Mix'' * ''Sturr It Up'' * ''Sturr Struck'' * '' Top of the World'' with

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gu ...

Rhonda Vincent Rhonda Lea Vincent (born July 13, 1962) is an American bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Vincent's music career began when she was a child in her family's band The Sally Mountain Show, and it has spanned more than four de ...

(2003 Grammy) * '' Touched by a Polka'' with

Mel Tillis Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932 – November 19, 2017) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, ...

(2001 Grammy) * ''Tribute to the Legends of Polka Music'' * ''

When It's Polka Time at Your House ''When It's Polka Time at Your House'' is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Vanguard Records in 1991. In 1991, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording. Track listing # "Sleep All Day" (Jimmy Sturr, ...

'' (1991 Grammy)

Band members

Main band members *Jimmy Sturr - Leader, Vocals, Clarinet, Saxophone, Drums, and Trumpet *Rick Henly - Trumpet *Bill Ash - Trumpet *Kenny Harbus - Trumpet & Vocals *Jim Perry - Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, and Tenor Saxophone *Nick DeVito - Clarinet & Alto Saxophone *Johnny Karas - Tenor Saxophone & Vocals *Ron Oswanski - Piano & Accordion *Frank Urbanovitch - Violin & Vocals *Rich Pavasaris - Bass Guitar *Rich Berends - Drums Other band members/reoccurring members *Tom Conklin - Bus Driver *Jim Dixon - Bus Driver *Gus Kosior - Manager & Bus Driver *Barbara James - Assistant Manager *Al Piatkowski - Accordion *Nick Koryluk - Accordion *Joe Mariany - Clarinet and Saxophone *Ray Barno - Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, and Baritone Saxophone *Chris Caffery - Guitar *Jim Uzwack- Sound engineer Past members *William “Bill” Hulle - Bass *Hank Golis - Trumpet *Kevin Krauth - Trumpet & Vocals *Al Noble - Trumpet *Ben Poole - Trumpet *Eric Parks - Trumpet *Paul Ketterer - Trumpet *Dana Sylvander - Trombone *Dennis Coyman - Drums *Bill Langan - Bass Guitar *Mike Ralff - Bass Guitar *Dave Kowalski - Guitar *Eddie Burton - Guitar *Lou Pallo - Guitar *Kevin Chase - Guitar *Walt Cunningham - Strings & Banjo *Ed Goldberg - Piano & Bass *Jeff Hoffman - Piano *Jeff Miller - Piano *Keith Slattery - Piano *Lenny Filipowski - Piano *Dennis Polisky - Clarinet & Alto Saxophone *Greg Dolecki - Clarinet & Alto Saxophone *Joe Magnuszewski - Clarinet & Alto Saxophone *Peter Kargul - Violin *Ryan Joseph - Violin *Steve Wnuk - Violin *Gene Bartkiewicz - Accordion *Wally Czerniawski - Accordion *Darlene Morrow - Violin *Mark Zaki - Violin *Steve Swiader - Accordion *Gennarose - Vocals *Lance Wing - Vocals *Lindsey Webster - Vocals *John Doolan - Equipment Manager *Bryan Doolan - Roadie *Thomas 'Tom' Karas - Accordion/keyboard (1983-1989)

References

External links

Official websiteInterview with Jimmy Sturr
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sturr, Jimmy 1941 births Living people Polka musicians Grammy Award winners Singers from New York (state) American male saxophonists American clarinetists American male singers New York (state) Democrats People from Warwick, New York 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century clarinetists 21st-century American male musicians