A World of Accordions Museum in Superior, WI is excited to announce that renowned accordionist Joseph (Joey) M. Miskulin (picture right) from Nashville, TN, will headline the weekend’s events for the annual Dr. Willard A. Palmer Festival and World Accordion Day hosted at A World of Accordions Museum in Superior, WI on May 5 and 6, 2018.

To acknowledge the importance of the weekend’s events, Superior’s Mayor Jim Paine is proclaiming May 5, as Dr. Willard A. Palmer Day, and also proclaiming May 6, as World Accordion Day.

Joey is the first accordionist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His April 14, induction into the ‘”Nashville Cats” is the highest accolade given to a very select few recording session musicians. The award ceremony highlights the hundreds of albums he recorded with some of music’s greatest names that to date result in over 100 million sold.

Joey is extolled nationally as accordionist, arranger, spontaneous improviser, studio musician, pedagogue and unequalled entertainer. In a music career spanning more than four decades, Joey has collaborated with a range of artists including Paul McCartney, John Denver, Ricky Skaggs, Andy Williams, Ricky Van Shelton, Emmylou Harris, Frankie Yankovic, Garth Brooks and many others. Although principally known as a superb performer, his talents extend to many production credits that include Disney/Pixar in Toy Story, and recently in Shanghai, China, where he spent two weeks working with the Walt Disney Company.

Miskulin toured the United States with Frankie Yankovic as his featured accordionist for six years, writing and arranging songs between performances. In the 1990s he joined Riders In The Sky, and with them is billed as “Joey the Cowpolka King” This wholesome Western style group brings smiles, laughter, and excellent musicianship to every audience.

Museum Curator Helmi Harrington, Ph. D. recounts in a personal note “I’ve known Joey for over 25 years and consider him one of the most accomplished and kindest gentlemen in the accordion world. Despite being supremely lauded in multiple categories, Joey remains a modest celebrity who redirects praise to include larger matters. As he says: “Being the first accordion player ever chosen humbles me, but is certainly a validation of our instrument, and our fellow players as musicians.”

In addition to Joey, the Palmer and World Accordion Day event will showcase the talents of and include the support of Carolyn Carver, Kevin Friedrich, Tracey Gibbens, Dee Langley, Dr. Michael Middleton, Willard A. Palmer III, John Scaffeo and Stanislav (Stas) Venglevski.

A World of Accordions Museum Curator Helmi Harrington is offering complimentary e-Newsletter mailings to those who would like to be kept up to date on this and other events held at the Museum. If you are interested in receiving the e-Newsletter which profiles the latest happenings and historical information on instruments, simply send your e-mail to Helmi Harrington at: accordion@sprynet.com and you will be added to the mailing list.

A World of Accordions Museum will live stream select parts of their World Accordion Day Festival on May 6, 2018. Included in the live stream will be the popular seminar on the History of the Accordion as narrated and presented by Helmi Harrington, Ph. D. You can access this coverage via the CIAWorld Accordion Day page.

For all other information, please visit http://www.worldofaccordions.org