Biography

Even though they aren't related, he and 'Weird Al' Yankovic were close friends. Both were known for playing the accordion.

Yankovic took his band on the road, playing a relentless schedule, as many as 325 nights annually. The constant touring and hectic lifestyle led many band members to quit.

He served in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, he recorded a country song, "Just Because", in polka style, and sold a million copies. He invited other, more skilled accordionists to join his band, "Frankie Yankovic and the Yanks". In 1948, the Yanks played for an audience of 8,000 people in Milwaukee, and Frankie became known as America's Polka King.

By the 1990s, polka music had plummeted in popularity, yet Yankovic was still playing up to 200 shows a year. He was very charismatic, and his personality connected well with his audiences.

His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was 5 years old. His family ran a boarding house, and Slovenian boarders taught Frankie how to play the accordion. When he was a teenager, he played at dances for five dollars a night.