Jimmy Sturr to receive lifetime achievement award

Polish Center of Discovery and Learning also will name its music gallery after the King of Polka CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning at Elms College will honor Jimmy Sturr, the native of Florida, N.Y., with its lifetime achievement award for his contribution of elevating Polish music and culture to a national and international audience at its annual Krakus Festival on Oct. 29 in Springfield, Mass. “Jimmy Sturr’s contribution to Polish music and the arts is extraordinary and deserves to be recognized by the Polish Center as he exemplifies what our mission is all about,” Joseph Topor, president of the Board of Directors, said in the press release announcing the award. “Jimmy exemplifies the type of individual we wish to honor as his accomplishments fit our mission to recognize those achievements that focus on the history and cultural traditions of Polish people in Europe and the United States.” The Polish Center, which was established in 1998 to celebrate the contributions made to the economy, arts and sciences by Polish people and Americans of other descents, also will name its music gallery as the Jimmy Sturr Hall of Music. “From Nobelist Czeslaw Milosz to Stan Musial, from conductor Leopold Stokowski to Liberace, Polish Americans have left their mark on their homeland,” added Joanne Gruszkos, the chairwoman of the 2011 Krakus Festival. “As generations pass and diverse groups mingle in the great melting pot which is America, it is only fitting that we honor Jimmy Sturr, an Irish American, who has devoted his life and career to elevating Polish music and culture to a national level.” About the Polish Center Founded in 1998, the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning is a 501(c)(3) non-profit museum safeguarding historical objects produced before 1950 representative of the material culture of the Polish people in America. It also serves as a library with a collection of over 15,000 books in both English and Polish. A genealogy center where Polish Americans can trace their family history. A research facility for scholars, educators and students seeking information about the history of Polish people and their contributions to the arts, sciences and economy. For more information, visit www.polishcenter.net or e-mail polishcenter@elms.edu. A brief career summary Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra have won 18 Grammy Award’s for Polish music, sell out concerts at major venues both in the United States and abroad and have recorded more than 100 albums since 1960. Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) has awarded Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra its most valued award, the Commendation of Excellence, the only one ever awarded in the polka field. He has included many leading performers on his albums, including Willie Nelson (three recordings), The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Daniels, Boots Randolph, Mel Tillis, Dwight Youkam, George Jones, Brenda Lee, plus banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and folk legend Arlo Guthrie. Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra has appeared several times on Saturday Night Live as well as sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall (seven), Lincoln Center (four), the Grand Ole Opry and at The Palace of Culture in Warsaw, Poland where the band received seven standing ovations. He also has a weekly show on RFDTV each Friday.