18-time Grammy winner Jimmy Sturr honored with Orange Arts award

FLORIDA — The Orange County Arts Council will honor Florida, N.Y., musician Jimmy Sturr at its awards dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, at the Motorcyclepedia Museum, 250 Lake St., Newburgh.
The winner of 18 Grammy Awards, Sturr is the highest Grammy-winning polka artist in history. A trumpeter, clarinetist, saxophonist and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra, he continues to perform throughout the country travelling in a 45-foot customized tour bus, returning then to his hometown of Florida, where he's lived his entire life.
Sturr will be recognized not only for his display of exemplary leadership and work demonstrating exceptional achievement as a musician, but also as volunteer in support of veteran’s and veteran causes.
Sturr said he was always interested in combining styles of music.
“One of the things that I did that I always enjoyed, I went back to the 1950s and 1960s and took some rock and roll songs like 'Splish Splash' and 'Kansas City,' and I recorded them as polkas,” he said.
Sturr joins a select group of honorees to be awarded at the 2017 Orange County Art Awards.
The Orange County Arts Council’s mission is to champion the arts, connect artists with audiences, and foster the growth of the county's creative resources. For more information call 469-9168.