Jon Dietz
Hall of Fame – 2020
Jon Dietz of Slinger, Wisconsin started playing the concertina at the age of eight when he began taking lessons from his father in Montgomery, Minnesota. Growing up, Jon was intrigued by the talents of the concertina players in the top Minnesota bands. He modeled himself after them and now calls many of these musicians his close friends. Throughout the years, Ernie Coopman, Jerry Minar, Karl Hartwich, and others all took the time to teach him whatever he wanted to know, including tuning, repairing, building, and playing the concertina.
In sixth grade, Jon also started learning to play the tuba and he also excels on that instrument.
In 1994, at the age of fourteen, Jon bought his first concertina and started his own band called The Twin Lakes Trio. They became popular and traveled throughout Minnesota playing everything from garage parties to polka festivals.
In 2004, Jon moved to Wisconsin where he began playing tuba with the Goodtime Dutchman. His career included stints with Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen and Gary’s Ridgeland Dutchman. He recently, with the help of his wife Jenny and sons Zack and Xavier revived the Twin Lakes Trio.
Jon made a splash in the Milwaukee polka scene and is now considered Milwaukee’s premier concertina player. Jon resides in Slinger, Wisconsin with his wife and two sons.