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Ponikvar, Jack "Porky"

Percussionist (1943- 1998)
Inducted on November 28, 1998

"Porky" Ponikvar mastered the accordion and became a "Junior Polka King" as a boy, but made his mark on Cleveland- Style Polkas as a drummer. Starting with Frank Yankovic as a teen, Porky toured the nation, recorded, and appeared on radio and TV, including the Johnny Carson Show with Yankovic, with a myriad of Cleveland-Style orchestras. Major stints in his forty-year career included Frankie Kramer, Kenny Bass, and twenty-two years with Dick Sodja. Presenting Kenny Bass' legacy, Jack formed the Polka Poppers in 1993 and reprised Bass' stylings with the Don Wojtila Show Band in 1994. A past president of the Polkats Social Club, Porky was one of Cleveland-Style's most colorful figures, bringing out the best in fellow musicians and making polkas fun for everyone with his warm smile and magnetic personality.

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