Louis Bashell
Encyclopedia
Louis Bashell was an American polka
musician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. He was known for playing the Slovenian-style polka
. He was nicknamed "Milwaukee's polka king".
Bashell's band was signed to RCA Victor
for eight years. In 1987, he became Wisconsin's first resident to receive a National Heritage Fellowship
grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
.
n parents. He began playing accordion as a 7 year old, and soon began playing it at his family's "Bashell's Tavern" in the Walker's Point neighborhood. Bashell attended Boys' Tech High School
.
and South Dakota
through New Jersey
.
Bashell performed at his family's bar for 50 years, as well as house parties, weddings, anniversaries, ballrooms, halls, clubs, bars, and other community-based events in Milwaukee. His albums sold around the United States and worldwide.
Bashell was a trustee in the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame in the 2000s.
. He had been fighting Alzheimer's disease
for two years at his death. Bashell was interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.
He was nominated for six Wisconsin Area Music Industry
's (WAMI) polka awards between 1996 and 2001; he won the award in 1999.
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
musician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. He was known for playing the Slovenian-style polka
Slovenian-style polka
Slovenian-style polka is an American style of polka in the Slovenian tradition. It is usually associated with Cleveland and other Midwestern cities. It is also known as "Cleveland Style."...
. He was nicknamed "Milwaukee's polka king".
Bashell's band was signed to RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
for eight years. In 1987, he became Wisconsin's first resident to receive a National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
Background
Bashell was born in Milwaukee to SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n parents. He began playing accordion as a 7 year old, and soon began playing it at his family's "Bashell's Tavern" in the Walker's Point neighborhood. Bashell attended Boys' Tech High School
Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1906 as Boys Trade and Technical High School, its name was changed to Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School beginning with the 1975 graduating class, the first to include young women...
.
Musical career
Bashell formed his first trio in the 1930s. He played accordion and he hired a drummer and saxophone player. Bashell formed a 5-piece band in the late 1940s; their recording of the Slovenian folk song, "Zidana Marela," ("Silk Umbrella") was successful. Bashell said "It sold out as fast as they could make the records. Then RCA Victor came along and hired us to make records for them, and we were on the RCA label for almost eight years." RCA wanted Bashell to promote the records on a lengthy national tour, but he refused. He wanted to be close to his wife and children. He later did tours through the "polka belt" in northern United States from NorthNorth Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
through New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Bashell performed at his family's bar for 50 years, as well as house parties, weddings, anniversaries, ballrooms, halls, clubs, bars, and other community-based events in Milwaukee. His albums sold around the United States and worldwide.
Bashell was a trustee in the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame in the 2000s.
Death
Bashell stopped performing in the 2000s after his health began declining. He died on December 17, 2008 from complications of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. He had been fighting Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
for two years at his death. Bashell was interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.
Awards
Bashell was inducted in the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame.He was nominated for six Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Wisconsin Area Music Industry is an American volunteer organization founded in 1980, and based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its stated purpose is "to educate and recognize the achievements and accomplishments of individuals in the Wisconsin music industry." The organization is best known for its...
's (WAMI) polka awards between 1996 and 2001; he won the award in 1999.