JIMMY STURR Polka king draws wrath for Americanizing genre

Sturr is in the running for his 15th Grammy Award.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
After a year in exile, the "Polka King" is a step closer to reclaiming his Grammy throne.
Jimmy Sturr's "Shake, Rattle & amp; Polka!" on Thursday scored a nomination for best polka album, capping a year-long campaign to correct what his fans saw as an egregious slight in 2004. That's when polka's all-time Grammy winner failed to secure so much as a nomination for the first time since 1987, a victim, some say, of the genre's backbiting.
In the 20 years since the Grammys first started honoring polka, Sturr has won 14 times, exceeding the victories of Madonna, Michael Jackson and the Beatles while becoming the best-selling living polka musician with 2 million albums sold.
But along the way he alienated some polka purists. Sturr bypassed dance halls for better paying casino gigs. He copyrighted the name "Polkapalooza," teamed up with country star Willie Nelson and 1950s rock icon Duane Eddy, performed on "Saturday Night Live," played Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and was the answer to a $250,000 question on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
So when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences failed to even nominate him last year, fans and polka aficionados were convinced it was the stealthy handiwork of detractors who believed that "Jimmy Sturr & amp; His Orchestra" had grown too big for its accordion.
Green with envy
"There's so much polka jealousy," said Steve Popovich, a Sturr friend and founder of Cleveland International Records. "Some people dislike Jimmy because he's so successful."
Now, Sturr is back in the Grammy hunt. His "Shake" album, featuring such oldies as "Rock Around the Clock," "I Walk the Line" and "Love Me Tender," is up against the likes of the Del Sinchak Band's "Polka Pizzazz," Kevin Solecki's "Solecktions" and "Time Out For Polkas And Waltzes" from Walter Ostanek and Ron Sluga.
Competitors believe that cozying up to country and rock stars has given Sturr a leg up in the Grammy voting. That's because thousands of Grammy voters are eligible to cast polka ballots, even though many of them might not know good tuba from bad.
"Jimmy doesn't get the polka community's vote," said Eddie Blazonczyk, leader of the Versatones whose "Under the Influence" polka album also was nominated. "He wins because he gets votes from Nashville and from his rock star friends."
Sturr, an Irish-American in a genre dominated by Poles, Germans and Slavs, is used to being shunned by those who view him as an interloper.
Unique style
Sturr's trademark is broadening polka's appeal through an Americanized version containing elements of rock, pop, Cajun and salsa. But his critics say he's diluting polka's ethnic roots.
"People love to hate Jimmy because they say that he's degraded their heritage by mixing up all the different styles," said Blazonczyk, who said he remains a Sturr admirer even though his band has lost to him 10 times in Grammy competition.
Sturr was careful not to gloat Thursday. Nonetheless, shortly after his nomination was announced, a bulletin appeared on his Web site.
"I'm sure there were people whispering to the Grammy movers and shakers," Sturr said. "I think the Grammys have been getting complaints about me always winning from other bands for years."
However, "You don't win 14 Grammys unless you're making great records," he added.
A clarinetist and saxophonist, Sturr, 54, lives in the same home where he grew up in Florida, N.Y. He started leading his band at age 11, in 1962.
For U2 or Mariah Carey, a Grammy may be less about money than recognition: many of the albums nominated in the major categories Thursday have already sold millions of copies. Not so in polka.
Popularity and criticism
After Sinchak's band was nominated in 1997 for "Let the Sunshine In," sales of the album jumped by almost 400 percent, to 13,000 copies.
"I can't tell you how many unexpected calls I got to play music fests and new concerts," said Sinchak, whose band eventually lost out to Sturr's at the Grammys.