John Janowski
Hall of Fame – 2004
John V. Janowski (1930-2021) of Grayslake, Illinois started taking concertina lessons on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago when he was 12 years old. John and his friends played parties and weddings and started “Chicago’s Concertina Club.” The CCC quickly grew to 15 members, featuring a dozen concertinas, a drummer, and a bass player. They performed at a variety of venues, and festivals, and were the lead band for the International Polka Association Festival of Polka Bands in 1983.
John performed with many other musicians and groups including Tommy Altenburg and the Happy Notes, Jimmy Mieszala and the Music Explosion, the Chicago Magic, Li’l Richard, Frank Berendt, and Tommy Kula.