He was born in 1915 in Davis, West Virginia, the only son of Andy and Rose Yankovic, and became known as ‘America’s Polka King’. Frankie Yankovic, who’s Father took to bootlegging and was getting close being caught moved the family to Collinwood, Ohio, that’s where Frankie polished his skills.

 

To make a little extra money the Yankovic’s took in boarders and one played the ‘button box’ and got Frankie into playing the accordion. At the age of 15 he was good enough on the ‘button box’ to play publicly, but wanted to play the accordion. At 16 his Mother bought him his first for Christmas.

He formed his first band and by 1932 he was on the radio. By 1938 Columbia and RCA Records wanted him to cut some records, they were an instant hit. He was drafted into the Army during World War ll and almost lost his hands to frostbite but did recover to play the accordion once again. When the war was over he formed a band again and recorded his first million selling song ‘Just Because’, the song that made him a superstar of the day and the title of ‘America’s Polka King’.

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