Walter Ostanek

2025-10-12T13:07:17Z

70.26.26.163: /* Added his first album

{{Short description|Canadian polka musician (born 1935)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Walter Ostanek
| image = Walter Ostanek in 2011.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ostanek performing at [[Marineland of Canada|Marineland]] in July 2011
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Ladislav John Ostanek
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1935|04|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Duparquet, Quebec]], Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| origin = [[St. Catharines, Ontario]], Canada
| instrument = [[Accordion]]
| genre = [[Polka]]
| occupation = musician, songwriter
| years_active = 1957-present
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website =
}}
'''Ladislav John "Walter" Ostanek''', [[Order of Canada|CM]]<ref name="canadagazette"/><ref name="canadagazette1"/> (born 20 April 1935) is a Canadian musician. He is known as "Canada's Polka King." He has received twenty-one nominations for [[Grammy Award]]s and won three.<ref name="canadaswalkoffame"/>

==Early life==
Born in [[Duparquet, Quebec]] in 1935,<ref name="allmusic"/> his family moved to [[St. Catharines]], [[Ontario]], when he was a boy. A young Ostanek received his first accordion as a gift in 1944.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2016/10/10/adams-1st-oktoberfest-day-2-meet-polka-king/|title=CityNews|website=kitchener.citynews.ca|date=10 October 2016 }}</ref> After several years, Ostanek became a popular entertainer in [[Southern Ontario]], performing [[Slovenian-style polka|Slovenian-style]] (also known as Cleveland-style) polkas and waltzes. He could be heard frequently on the radio in St. Catharines and [[Welland]]. Walter began playing polka after his best friend introduced him to the accordion at age 5.

==Career==
In 1957 Ostanek formed his own band playing [[Slovenian-style polka]] music.<ref name="canadianencyclopedia"/> In 1963, Ostanek and his band, the '''Walter Ostanek Band''', would record their first of many albums. Over his career, Ostanek would record more than 50 albums and become known as Canada's Polka King.<ref name="jam"/> He has received three [[Grammy Award]]s and he has been nominated thirteen times. His style has been compared to America's Polka King, [[Frankie Yankovic]] of Cleveland. Like the late Yankovic, Walter Ostanek is of [[Slovenes|Slovene]] descent.

[[File:Walter Ostanek.jpg|thumb|alt=Walter Ostanek.|Ostanek (right) appearing at the 2006 [[Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest]]]]

Ostanek hosted his own television shows (one for fourteen consecutive years), radio shows, and polka tours. He has appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', ''[[Phil Donahue]]'', ''[[Tommy Hunter|Tommy Hunter Show]]'', Cleveland's ''[[Polka Varieties]]'', and his own award-winning TV specials and telethons. He has appeared in concert with [[Roy Clark]], [[The Oak Ridge Boys]], [[Ronnie Milsap]], [[Ray Price]], [[Mel Tillis]], [[Brenda Lee]], [[Slim Whitman]], [[Tom T. Hall]], [[T. G. Sheppard]], [[Tommy Hunter]], [[Lawrence Welk]], [[Myron Floren]], [[Frank Yankovic]], Black Forest Band, and Weiss Blau.

Ostanek is a member of [[Canada's Walk of Fame]] as well as the Polka Halls of Fame in [[Polka Hall of Fame|Cleveland]] and [[International Polka Association|Chicago]]. Currently Ostanek performs once a year at the annual [[Oktoberfest]] in [[Kitchener, Ontario]].

He is also the subject of the 2006 [[CTV Drama Channel|Bravo!]] network documentary ''The Cult of Walt: Canada's Polka King''. Ostanek is also cited as the inspiration for the [[Second City Television]] polka parody, the [[Shmenge Brothers]],<ref name="chumlimited"/> and the Osler show.

In 2007, Ostanek was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual [[SOCAN]] Awards in Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2007-socan-awards |title=2007 Socan Awards | Socan |access-date=24 August 2016 |archive-date=11 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111191225/http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2007-socan-awards |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Ostanek currently resides in St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the owner of the popular music store "Ostanek's" until 1 April 2013, when the store was converted to a Long & McQuade.<ref name="conversion"/> He still plays locally.

==Lottery==
In July 2016 Ostanek was in the news when he won a million [[Canadian dollar|dollars]] in the [[London, Ontario|London]] Dream Lottery, which raises money for hospitals.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2016/07/13/polka-king-walter-ostanek-wins-1m-lottery.html "Roll out the barrel: Polka king Walter Ostanek wins $1M lottery"]. ''Toronto Star'', Geoffrey Vendeville, 13 July 2016</ref>

==Awards and recognition==
* 1992, 1993, 1994: winner, [[Grammy Award for Best Polka Album]]
* 1999: appointed Member of the [[Order of Canada]]<ref name="ggoc" />
* 2001: inductee, [[Canada's Walk of Fame]]
* 2007: [[SOCAN]] Lifetime Achievement Award

==Discography==

===Singles===
*ca 1962 "Walter Ostan" ''Marianne''
*1998 "Larhonda Polka" ''Here Come the Polka Heroes''<ref name="musicbrainz"/>

===Walter Ostanek Band===
* ''The Walter Ostanek Band'' <ref name="libraryandarchivescanada2"/>

===Walter Ostanek and His Band===
* ''[[Gay Continental Dance Party]]'' (1965)
* ''[[35th Anniversary]]''
* ''[[Accordionally Yours]]''
108 albums in total

===Walter Ostanek and His Polka Band===
* ''I Like Frankie Yankovic'' <ref name="libraryandarchivescanada1"/>

===Walter Ostanek and His Polka Kings===
* ''Polka Party'' <ref name="libraryandarchivescanada3"/>

===Walter Ostanek===
* ''[[Music and Friends (Walter Ostanek album)|Music and Friends]]''
* ''Marineland Favourites'' <ref name="libraryandarchivescanada"/>
* ''Like Father, Like Son''
*1995 ''Polka Monster'' (EP)

===Walter Ostanek and his Orchestra===
* ''Centennial Dance Party''

== References ==
{{Reflist
| colwidth = 30em
| refs =

<ref name="allmusic">
{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/walter-ostanek-p224213 |title=Walter Ostanek Biography |author=Charlotte Dillon |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |work=allmusic.com |date=14 September 2009 |accessdate=19 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="canadagazette">
{{cite journal|journal=Canada Gazette|url=http://publications.gc.ca/gazette/archives/p1/2000/2000-03-25/pdf/g1-13413.pdf |title=The Order of Canada|volume=134|issue=13 | date=25 March 2000|last=LaRoque|first=Judith A.|publisher=[[Government of Canada]] |accessdate=19 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="canadagazette1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/2000/2000-03-25/pdf/g1-13413.pdf|title=Canada Gazette Vol. 134, No. 13|date=25 March 2000|author=Governor General of Canada|author-link=Governor General of Canada|work=gazette.gc.ca|publisher=Government of Canada|accessdate=19 January 2011|archive-date=7 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007020501/http://www.gazette.gc.ca/archives/p1/2000/2000-03-25/pdf/g1-13413.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="canadaswalkoffame">
{{cite web|url=http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/walter-ostanek|title=WALTER OSTANEK 2001 INDUCTEE|work=canadaswalkoffame.com|publisher=[[Canada's Walk of Fame]]|accessdate=19 January 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607135034/http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/walter-ostanek|archivedate=7 June 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="canadianencyclopedia">
{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/walter-ostanek-emc/ |title=Ostanek, Walter Biography |author=Governor General of Canada |author-link=Governor General of Canada |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |accessdate=19 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="chumlimited">
{{cite web|url=http://www.chumlimited.com/press/releasetelevision.asp?stationID=92&pressID=2135 |title=It's Polka Time on Bravo! -- The Cult of Walt: Canada's Polka King |date=25 September 2006 |accessdate=19 January 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021153646/http://www.chumlimited.com/press/releasetelevision.asp?stationID=92&pressID=2135 |archivedate=21 October 2006 |url-status=unfit }}</ref>

<ref name="jam">
{{cite web |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/O/Ostanek_Walter.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115071509/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/O/Ostanek_Walter.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=15 January 2013 |title=Artist: Ostanek, Walter Biography |author=Ralf Hakenberg |work=jam.canoe.ca |publisher=[[Sun Media Corporation]] |accessdate=19 January 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="libraryandarchivescanada">
{{cite web |url=http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2011-01-20T01%3A37%3A50Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=32117984&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Aamicus |title=AMICUS No. 32117984
|author=Library and Archives Canada |author-link=Library and Archives Canada |work=amicus.collectionscanada.ca |publisher=Government of Canada |accessdate=13 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="libraryandarchivescanada1">
{{cite web |url=http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2011-01-20T01%3A30%3A18Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=33553580&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Aamicus |title=AMICUS No. 33553580
|author=Library and Archives Canada |author-link=Library and Archives Canada |work=amicus.collectionscanada.ca |publisher=Government of Canada |accessdate=13 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="libraryandarchivescanada2">
{{cite web |url=http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2011-01-20T01%3A49%3A09Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=11934611&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Aamicus |title=AMICUS No. 11934611
|author=Library and Archives Canada |author-link=Library and Archives Canada |work=amicus.collectionscanada.ca |publisher=Government of Canada |accessdate=13 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="libraryandarchivescanada3">
{{cite web |url=http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_tim=2011-01-20T02%3A03%3A15Z&url_ctx_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=33553570&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fcollectionscanada.gc.ca%3Aamicus |title=AMICUS No. 33553570
|author=Library and Archives Canada |author-link=Library and Archives Canada |work=amicus.collectionscanada.ca |publisher=Government of Canada |accessdate=13 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="musicbrainz">
{{cite web |url=http://musicbrainz.org/release/7ee576f9-571d-44f0-acf2-5168e19a0c64.html |title=Various Artists |work=musicbrainz.org |publisher=[[MusicBrainz]] |accessdate=19 January 2011}}</ref>

<ref name="conversion">
{{cite web |url=http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2013/03/18/the-last-song-for-walter |title=The last polka song for Walter Ostanek |author=Don Fraser |publisher=St, Catharine's Standard |accessdate=25 October 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="ggoc">
{{cite web | url=http://archive.gg.ca/media/doc.asp?lang=e&DocID=346 | title=New Appointments to the Order of Canada | date=11 January 2000 | publisher=Governor General of Canada | accessdate=20 April 2015 }}
</ref>
}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://walterostanekband.com/}}

{{clear}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostanek, Walter}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:People from Abitibi-Témiscamingue]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Slovenian descent]]
[[Category:Musicians from Quebec]]
[[Category:Musicians from St. Catharines]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Polka musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian accordionists]]

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Walter Ostanek