Joey Miskulin has been selected to receive the AAA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 for his many musical contributions. The date and location of the event will be announced soon.
Joseph M. Miskulin is a hall of fame accordionist and producer of Grammy Award-winning music albums. In a music career spanning more than four decades, Joey Miskulin has collaborated with a range of artists including Paul McCartney, John Denver, Ricky Skaggs, Andy Williams, Ricky Van Shelton, Emmylo
Info by Steve Kurutz: “When accordionist Joey Miskulin did a tour of duty with “America’s Polka King” Frank Yankovic, by traveling the country at the age of 13, he began a professional career that now includes playing on several gold and platinum albums, as well as three grammy award winning releases.
Miskulin, a native of Chicago, was a child prodigy, joining his first band at the age of 11. By 13 he was traveling with the above-mentioned Yankovic, who was a Columbia recording artist at the time, and had already appeared on a record. After playing on a syndicated tv polka show based in Cleveland, Miskulineventually made the move to Nashville. There he befriended Jack Clement who helped him get session work. Over the years Miskulin has played with Townes Van Sandt, Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs and U2 among others.
Miskulin has also began producing and arranging, cutting records for Michael Martin Murphey, Riders in the Sky and his own band, Joey Miskulin & the International Festival Orchestra.”
Joey Miskulin is one of Cleveland-Style Polkas’ greatest pillars of musical talent. In his most memorable role, Joey, the child prodigy discovered by Chicago’s Roman Possedi, became Frank Yankovic’s featured accordionist at age thirteen, beginning an association that would last over thirty-five years. Frank’s insistence that Joey be included in a Columbia recording session cemented Joey’s decision to make music his career.
Broadening his experience, Joey became in the 1970’s became a studio musician and producer, performing on bass, piano, banjo, guitar, organ, accordion, and as a vocalist. All the while, Joey maintained his love affair with Cleveland -Style Polkas, playing and recording with Yankovic and Cleveland -Style orchestras. In 1978, Joey opened Miskulin’s Lounge, reviving a venue that housed some of Cleveland’s most famous polka clubs. Teaming up with the legendary Lou Trebar, Joey formed the Mis-Tre Orchestra. Joey hosted various TV shows, including his very own Polka Time U.S.A. In 1985 Miskulin produced the first Grammy-winning polka album, Frank Yankovic’s 70 Years of Hits. Among Joey’s many Compositions I Wanna Call You Sweetheart was designated a Great All-Time Polka Hit. Joey moved to Nashville in 1987 for his other love, Western music as Joey the Cowpolka King.
You can read more about Joey Miskulin in future USA News publications.
