Frankie Yankovic Frank John " Frankie " Yankovic ( July 28 , 1915 in Davis , West Virginia – October 14 , 1998 in New Port Richey , Florida ) was a Grammy Award - winning polka musician . Known as " America ' s Polka King , " Yankovic was the premier artist to play in the Slovenian style during a long and successful career . Background . Of Slovene descent , Yankovic was raised in South Euclid , Ohio . He released over 200 recordings in his career . In 1986 he was awarded the first ever Grammy in the Best Polka Recording category . He rarely strayed from the Slovenian - style polka , but did record with country guitarist Chet Atkins and pop singer Don Everly . He also recorded a version of the “ Too Fat Polka ” with comedian Drew Carey . History . Yankovic was the son of immigrant parents . His father , a blacksmith , and his mother , a cook , met in a lumber camp in West Virginia where they both worked . When Yankovic was young , his family moved to Cleveland and he became enthralled by the brass bands that played at Slovenian social functions . His mother took on boarders to help with the family finances , including a man named Max Zelodec who performed Slovenian tunes on a button box . Yankovic acquired an accordion at age 9 but never took lessons . By the late 1920s , in his early teenage years , he was a working musician , playing for community events . In the 1930s , he formed a business relationship with Joe Trolli and began making radio appearances on stations such as WJAY and WGAR . As his reputation spread , he sought opportunities to make phonograph records , but the major labels turned him down . His first records were made for the Yankee and Joliet labels operated by Fred Wolf . Yankovic enlisted in the armed forces in 1943 , and cut numerous records while on leave , prior to his departure for Europe . He fought in the Battle of the Bulge where a severe case of frostbite nearly required the amputation of his hands and feet . Fortunately , he was able to beat the gangrene before that became necessary , and was awarded a Purple Heart . The doctors urged him to have his fingers amputated , but he refused , as that would have ended his music career . Yankovic hit the national scene when he earned two platinum singles for Just Because ( 1947 ) and Blue Skirt Waltz ( 1949 ) . Yankovic obtained the title of America ' s Polka King after beating Louis Bashell , Romy Gosz , Harold Loeffelmacher and the Six Fat Dutchmen , Whoopee John Wilfahrt , and Lawrence Duchow in a battle of the bands in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Arena on June 9 , 1948 . Yankovic also hosted the television series " Polka Time " for Buffalo , New York - based WKBW - TV for 26 weeks in 1962 . He commuted from Cleveland to host each episode , which aired live . He also hosted a similar show at WGN - TV Chicago at about the same time . He won a Grammy Award in 1986 for his album " 70 Years of Hits " . He was the first winner in the Polka category . The NARAS ( Grammy ) organization dropped the category in 2008 . He has performed with musical comedian and fellow accordionist " Weird Al " Yankovic , although the two are not related . Al , who also performs polka music among many other styles , has jokingly hypothesized that he was given accordion lessons as a child because his parents thought that " there should be at least one more accordion - playing Yankovic in the world . " Al performed accordion on " Who Stole the Kishka ? " on one of Frankie ' s final records , " Songs of the Polka King , Vol . 1 " . A portion of Frankie ' s " The Tick Tock Polka " is included in the song " Polka Face " on Weird Al ' s " Alpocalypse " ; it was used as a lead - in for " Tik Tok " by Ke $ ha . Death . Yankovic died on October 14 , 1998 in New Port Richey , Florida , from heart failure , at the age of 83 . He is buried in Cleveland ' s Calvary Cemetery . Hundreds of friends , family , his loyal fans and fellow musicians attended his memorial service . At his peak , Yankovic traveled extensively and performed 325 shows a year . He sold 30 million records during his lifetime . Hometown square named in his honor . In Bob Dolgan ' s 2006 biography of Yankovic , Frankie ' s longtime drummer Dave Wolnik observed that Yankovic didn ' t have a street named for him in his own hometown . This launched a campaign by the National Cleveland - Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum and City Councilman Michael Polensek , and in a ceremony on August 21 , 2007 , the square at the intersection of Waterloo Rd . and East 152nd St . in Cleveland ( ) , not far from where Yankovic grew up , was named in his honor . Further reading . Dolgan , Bob ( 2006 ) . " America ' s Polka King : The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic " . Cleveland , OH : Gray & Company , Publishers . ISBN 978 - 1 - 59851 - 026 - 3