Lester (Les Bonde) Bondowski
Hall of Fame – 1984
Lester D. Bondowski also known as Les Bonde from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was half of a concertina duet Les Bonde and Concertina Patti. Together they entertained thousands with their beautiful music and song.
They played both on the radio and television. They performed on stage for the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy annual telethon. They were the guest band in Chicago for the 47th Street Concertina Club. They performed at the Gibbon, Minnesota festival, and were featured at the Union, Michigan concertina convention.
Les has been playing the concertina since the age of 17. In Milwaukee, fans of Lester’s father simplified their last name to “Bonde.” His stage name became Les Bonde.
Lester is known for two compositions, Japanese Twist and Ah Lovely Meadows, and also composed his version of English lyrics to the Strolling Girl Waltz.
Les plays a wide variety of music including polkas, waltzes, fox trots, rhumbas, tangos, schottisches, obereks, jitterbugs, old country, and old rock.