Personal statement:

Meet Bob Osantoski, 51, of Bad Axe, who this month was inducted into the Michigan State Polka Music Hall of Fame. He is also owner of Bob Osantoski Construction.

How did you get inducted into the Michigan State Polka Hall of Fame?
You get voted in. (Kinde accordion player) Benny Prill voted me in. He took it to the board. Then you have to present them with a biography and the board votes you in. I was inducted for polka promoting, just playing and entertaining and providing music. I play with the Emerson Pilaske Band right now. My brother Ron plays drums. He and I have been playing 37 years. I play the accordion.

How did you get interested in polka?
Going to family weddings and family gatherings, just watching the old accordion players, I guess. I took lessons. I delivered The Bay City Times newspaper. I paid for all my accordion lessons from delivering the paper.

When did you first start playing?
We had our own band back then. When we first started, we were Ozze’s Music Makers. I would have been 14 back then. It was my brother and neighbor Steve Siewert. Nobody was old enough to drive. We’d do graduation parties, anniversaries, stuff like that. After, say, two years, a couple of guys who played horns, Don Rzyhak and Rob Bourvrett, joined us. We formed a band called the Polka Sparks. Bourvrett left and another guy joined, Jim Tyrell, and we formed another band. It was called Harmony Knights. And we played for 10 years together. After that band broke up, I filled in for guys for probably three years. Then I got asked to play with the Tenbush Brothers. I played with them for seven years. After that Tommy Reder lost his accordion player. I played with them for six years, the Polka Towners Chapter II. Then that band broke up and I stay locally now with Emerson Pilaske.

At 14, why weren’t you listening to rock ’n’ roll?
It just never happened. I’ve always played polkas.

If you could spend a day doing whatever you wanted to do, what would it be?
I would go fishing, any type of fishing.

What is your dream vacation?
Six months in Alaska. I just made it up there this summer and I just love it. I loved the fishing. It’s great. The scenery is unreal.

Who would you most like to meet and why?
Probably Elvis. He was the coolest dude at the time. I like watching him on TV and films and stuff like that.

https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/bay-city/2009/10/meet_your_neighbor_bob_osantos.html

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