Trustees Honor Roll

Mlay, George

Record Producer and Radio Host (1925-1978)
Inducted on November 25, 2000

George Mlay loved to listen to polka music, and he had a good ear for recording it. George got caught up in polkamania in Pittsburgh in 1946 after serving in the U.S. Navy. He would tape polka bands at playing engagements as a hobby using a binaural recording device - a forerunner of stereo. In 1965, George got together with Jack Tady, leader of Pittsburgh's hottest polka band at that time, and produced his first album, "It's Terrific, It's Tady." The album began a succesful string of releases for the Mlay label in the 1960's. Some of the artists George recorded include Johnny Vadnal, Fred Gregorich and the Del-Fi's, Joey Frank and His Tempo Knights, Ray Galla and the Polka Gems, Vic Rogale and Jack Pavlovic. The Mlay label was the first to record popular tenor Eddie Kenik of Cleveland and introduce him to a wider audience. George also hosted radio shows, beginning with "The Polka Jamboree," a Saturday polka hour on station WPIT in Pittsburgh.