Musicians of Northeast Michigan

    Jerry Ruczynski got his start filling in for Bob LaMarre's drummer when he was in grade school. Initially inspired by Bobby Rigg's sparkle blue snare drum, Jerry's first drum set consisted of sand filled cigar boxes.Jerry went on to work with The Tom Ferguson Quartet, The Dolly Gray Band, and ...

    Born and raised in Alpena, Norm Seiss has played accordion and been involved in the music business for over 65 years. Inducted into the Michigan Polka Hall of Fame in 2001, Norm's music focuses on German style oompah music, polkas and waltzes. In this interview, Norm discusses the passage of ...

    Greg Adamus earned his chops playing weddings and funerals with his dad's bands in West Detroit. After receiving degrees in both music and educational administration, Greg and his wife Betsy moved to Alpena in 1988. Greg was instrumental in shaping the music scene in the area through the Thunder Bay ...

    Guitar player Glenn Anderson talks about playing music in the Alpena area, in Texas and recording in Nashville.Glenn plays country music primarily and some polka music as well. He started out with locally with Bussey String Band and discusses other players and venues in this interview.

    The first time Wayne Bates played guitar in a bar he was around 12 years old, and the bar was The Bolton Bar. Wayne learned to play fiddle at the age of 10, then Hawaiian and Spanish guitar. He likes playing old time country and continues to play in the ...

    Renown studio trumpet player, teacher, and orchestrator, Carey Deadman got his roots in music in Alpena. Locaaly, Carey took private lessons from Dave Antolini, studied with Brad Moors and John Hopkins and toured nationally with the Young Americans while he was at Alpena High School. In his professional career, he ...

    A native of Alpena, Don Deadman was born into a musical family and began playing music at the age of one. In addition to teaching music and owning a music store in downtown Alpena, Don led a variety of local bands, preferring jazz, but comfortable in many styles. Don's father, ...

    A lifelong musician, Greg Altman has been playing guitar for twenty years. For most of that time he has played as a solo artist and with numerous local artists, in a variety of venues throughout Northeast Michigan. For more than a decade, Greg performed in and produced concerts to benefit ...

    Bonnie Bartz is the lead vocalist of Alpena's Wild Rose, a group that offers a mix of blues, classic R & B, and Rock. She is also a founding member of the Thunder Bay Folk Society and president of its board. In this interview, Bonnie talks about her musical background, ...

    Area piano teacher and performer, Loretta Beyer talks about her roles in the Alpena music scene as well as her own music education in Zimbabwe.

    Guitarist John Marzean began taking lessons from Alvin Ash at age 6. At the age of 19, he played with Wickes and Company, a country band from Hillman, Michigan. These days, you can hear John play in the Norm Seiss Band, The Over the Hill Band and at Maplewood Tavern ...

    Bobby Rigg started playing drums under the tutelage of his dad Tubby Rigg, then played drums at St. Bernard's and in the City Band. Enamored by the sounds of rock and roll, he formed the band The Chevelles with Ralph Pinkerton, Donny Hartman and Jack Smolinski. Their success in the ...

    Local guitar player and vocalist Dan Ager began playing regular gigs at the age of 15. He attended the music program at Olivet College for two years, recorde in Nashville, and has performed throughout Michigan, in many states and Canada. Dan has performed in concerts with Moe Bandy, Susie Nelson, ...

    Stan Bartreau started playing guitar in a country band called The Ranch Hands in 1948, along with Ed Perkins and Howie Arnold. He continues to play music today in area nursing homes and can be found joining a jam session at The Maplewood Tavern on a Friday night. Lu Bartreau, ...

    Born in 1907, Sid Pugh led and played in Alpena area dance bands for over half a century. Sid's early training included violin lessons with Professor William Burgard. His first gig was at The German Hall, now Nowicki's Sausage Shop. In addition to his own bands, Sid played in the ...

    Butch Lyon got his start in music in East Jordan, Michigan playing with his dad's band, The Bundy Mountain Jamboree. The band was featured on a Saturday morning radio show on WATZ hosted by Ralph Diethelm. In this interview, the Lyons talk about Butch's career, including a bus tour across ...

    Not to be confused with two other musicians of the same name, Richard N. Kosloski began playing banjo with his father at the age of eight. He later picked up the accordion, and his expertise with that instrument earned him an induction into The Michigan Polka Hall of Fame in ...

    Local session bass guitarist, Al Zdan, first began playing professionally in the 1953.He built his own double-neck guitar which can be seen in the photo of the group The Monarchs. Al has played with numerous bands including, The Nomads, The Harmony Boys, Johnny Woloszyk and the Polka Jacks, The Belusar ...

    Mary Ann Hubbard talks about her role as an music educator and performer. She has taught music at ACC, Blue Lakes Fine Art Camp, Resurrection Lutheran Church School of Music and privately. MaryAnn performs in the Alpena Symphony Orchestra, The Windsong Quartet and organizes the annual "Flute and Friends" concert.

    Carole Cadarette began playing music at the age of 14 with The Cadarette Family Band. Starting out on keyboards, she took up the autoharp in 1979 and performed with Carol Witherbee and Diane Madsen to form Three on A String. Currently Carole performs solo as a vocalist and keyboardist around ...