Jimmy Sturr Biography
Jimmy Sturr is an American Grammy Award-winning Polka Musician, Radio Talk Show Host, Trumpeter, Clarinetist and Saxophonist who was born and brought-up in Warwick, New York. He is widely known as the leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra and for his recordings which won 18 out of the 24 Grammy Awards for Best Polka Album.
His Orchestra is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards. Jimmy is also known for acquiring more Grammy nominations than anyone else in the history of musical polka awards. He has made several appearances on radio shows such as WTBQ where he works as a Host and its a station that he was once the owner. He also Hosts a weekly radio show on the Rural Radio channel on SirusXM.
10 Quick Facts About Jimmy Sturr
Jimmy Sturr Age
Sturr is 80 years old as of 2021, he was born on 25 September 1941 in Warwick, New York, United States of America. He celebrates his birthday on 25th September every year and his birth sign is Libra.
Jimmy Sturr Height a
Jimmy stands at a height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters) and Weighs 181 lbs (82.1 kg). He also appears to be quite tall in stature in his photos. He has dark brown eyes and blonde hair.
Jimmy Sturr Family, Parents and Siblings
Sturr was born and raised by his parents in Warwick, New York. Our efforts to find out more about his family came to no avail as no such information is publicly available. Thus, the identity of his parents is still unclear. It is also not known if he has any siblings. We will update this section once this information is available.
Jimmy Sturr Wife
There are no clear details showing Jimmy is married or engaged to any partner. However, some sources claim he had a girlfriend named Barbara James. He might be dating low key or may have a secret relationship with his partner, but no details have hit the web on his relationship. We will update as soon as he surfaces his personal life to the media.
Jimmy Sturr Net Worth
Sturr has an estimated net worth of $19 million dollars as of 2022. This includes his assets, money and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Musician and Radio Talk Show Host. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Jimmy Sturr Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about him;
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Jimmy Sturr Wiki
- Full Names: James W. Sturr Jr.
- Popular As: Jimmy Sturr
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Musician and Radio Talk Show Host
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: Not Available
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Jimmy Sturr Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 80 years (2021)
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Date of Birth: 25 September 1941
- Place of Birth: Warwick, New York, United States of America
- Birthday: 25th September
Jimmy Sturr Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters)
- Weight: 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters)
- Eye Color: Dark Brown
- Hair Color: Blonde
- Shoe Size: Not Available
Jimmy Sturr Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Not Known
- Mother: Not Known
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
- Marital Status: Single
- Wife/Spouse: Not Available
- Dating / Girlfriend: Single
- Children: Not Known
Jimmy Sturr Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $19 million
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Musician and Radio Talk Show Host
Jimmy Sturr Career
Sturr’s brand of polka aimed for greater mainstream appeal, and borrowed from pop, rock, big-band swing, country, Tex-Mex, and Cajun music. Despite successful appearances on Saturday Night Live and the Grand Ole Opry, plus a number of high-profile collaborators, not everyone praised Sturr’s success.
Polka purists often accused him of watering down the music’s unpretentious ethnic roots and disliked the Vegas-style showmanship of his live act. Nonetheless, Sturr’s eclectic hybrids led polka into the new millennium, by which point he was arguably the music’s best-known ambassador.
Although he came from Irish stock, Sturr was absorbed into the town’s strongly Polish-American culture from a young age, attending polka dances regularly and watching his hero Myron Floren on The Lawrence Welk Show. He took up the clarinet and began performing locally at age 13, and won a music scholarship to the Valley Forge Military Academy.
After college at the University of Scranton, during which he continued to perform with his group on a part-time basis, Sturr returned to the polka circuit and spent most of the ’60s performing and recording. He formed his own label, Starr Records, in 1969, and subsequently started a number of other area business ventures, including a polka artists’ management firm, a music publishing company, a travel agency, and a radio station.
He continued to record steadily during the ’70s, always billed as Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, and offered a distinctly Americanized take on polka, with vocals mostly in English and an eye on popular trends.
Jimmy Sturr Clarinet Polka
Back in the ’90s, Jimmy Sturr, together with his Orchestra played and released Clarinet Polka. It is a popular musical composition from the end of the 19th century. Since 1971 it has been used as an opener in Lato z Radiem − one of the most popular shows of Polskie Radio Program I.
The piece, performed as a polka, has a simple and catchy melody, featuring a prominent extended eight-note arpeggio. It is typically performed in B-flat major. Clarinet Polka by Jimmy Sturr Orchestra is available on most online video platforms like Youtube.
Grammy-winning albums
Also in 1979, Sturr hired lead singer/saxophonist Johnny Karas, who would become an important component of the orchestra’s later success. When It’s Polka Time at Your House, Sturr began to achieve wider recognition in the mid-’80s, shortly after the Grammys introduced a new category for Best Polka Album in 1985.
In 1986, Sturr won the second-ever award for his album I Remember Warsaw, which kicked off a run of six consecutive wins from 1986-to 1991; his subsequent winners were Polka Just for Me, Born to Polka, All in My Love for You, When It’s Polka Time at Your House, and Live at Gilley’s.
By this time, Sturr was recording for the folk-oriented Vanguard label; he was also touring extensively behind his albums, playing numerous casinos, cruises, festivals, and similar venues all around the country. In the early ’90s, Sturr switched over to the roots label Rounder and returned to Grammy prominence with 1995’s award-winning I Love to Polka.
It inaugurated another string of four straight Grammy-winning albums, which thanks to Rounder’s greater resources featured an array of high-profile guests.
Avowed fan Willie Nelson appeared on 1996’s Polka! All the Time, as did Cajun accordionist Jo-El Sonnier; 1997’s Living on Polka Time featured Tex-Mex accordion legend Flaco Jimenez and country singer Bill Anderson; 1998’s Dance With Me, officially Sturr’s 100th album, had contributions from the Oak Ridge Boys.
Rock ‘N Polka
Underlining his increasing connection to country music, Sturr made a successful appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, making him the first polka artist to do so; he also played Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York and traveled to Warsaw, Poland, for a well-received show at the Palace of Culture. He was inducted into the Polka Music Hall of Fame, and in 1998, he even bought Billy Ray Cyrus’ old tour bus.
Touched By a PolkaSturr kicked off the new millennium by resuming his Grammy dominance. 2000’s Touched by a Polka had prominent showcases for country veteran Mel Tillis; 2001’s Gone Polka welcomed back Willie Nelson, as well as Brenda Lee; 2002’s Top of the World featured folk legend Arlo Guthrie and bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent, who supplied lead vocals on the title Carpenters cover.
All three albums won Grammys, giving Sturr 13 in all. 2003’s Let’s Polka ‘Round continued the parade of guest stars with banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, saxman Boots Randolph, and Charlie Daniels.
He took on a bevy of rock & roll oldies in 2004 with Rock ‘N Polka, followed by more of the same on 2005’s Shake, Rattle and Polka! In 2006, Sturr released a live album as well as the themed studio album Polka in Paradise. Come Share the Wine appeared from Rounder Records in 2007.
Jimmy Sturr Band members
- Jimmy Sturr – Leader, Vocals, Clarinet, Saxophone, Drums, and Trumpet
- Rick Henly – Trumpet
- Bill Ash – Trumpet
- Kenny Harbus – Trumpet & Vocals
- Jim Perry – Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, and Tenor Saxophone
- Nick DeVito – Clarinet & Alto Saxophone
- Johnny Karas – Tenor Saxophone & Vocals
- Ron Oswanski – Piano & Accordion
- Frank Urbanovitch – Violin & Vocals
- Rich Pavasaris – Bass Guitar
- Rich Berends – Drums
- Other Band Members/Reoccurring Members
Jimmy Sturr Songs
1. Polka ‘Round
2. Alice
3. Hoop De Doo
4. Helena Polka
5. Yellow Rose of Texas
6. Accordions on Fire
7. Papa Won’t You Dance with Me
8. All Night Long
9. Polka Fever
10. Dear Hearts and Gentle People
11. Charlie Was A Boxer
12. Oh Baby Mine
13. Wake Me Up Early in the Morning
14. Put a Light in the Window
15. San Antonio Rose
16. Polka in Paradise
17. Monopol
18. Clarinet Polka
19. Diggy Liggy Li
20. My Polka Dot
21. Tic Toc
22. Make Mine Polka
23. Diamond Ring
24. It’s Party Time
25. Little Felix
26. Polka on the Banjo
27. Orange Blossom Special Medley
28. Give Me a Kiss
29. Can’t Afford to Be a Star
30. Laura’s
31. Jukebox Polka
32. Polisky’s Polka
Jimmy Sturr Movies and TV Shows
1. Jimmy Sturr: The King of Polka: Live
2. The Jimmy Sturr Show
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Sturr
Who is Jimmy Sturr?
Jimmy Sturr is an American Grammy Award-winning Polka Musician, Radio Talk Show Host, Trumpeter, Clarinetist and Saxophonist. He is widely known as the leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra and for his recordings which won 18 out of the 24 Grammy Awards for Best Polka Album.
How old is Jimmy Sturr?
Sturr is 79 years old as of 2020, he was born on 25 September 1941 in Warwick, New York, United States of America. His birth sign is Libra.
How tall is Jimmy Sturr?
He stands at a height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters) and Weighs 181 lbs (82.1 kg).
Is Jimmy Sturr married?
No, there are no clear details showing Jimmy is married or engaged to any partner. However, some sources claim he had a girlfriend named Barbara James. He might be dating low key or may have a secret relationship with his partner, but no details have hit the web on his relationship.
How much is Jimmy worth?
He has an estimated net worth of $19 million dollars as of 2020. This includes his assets, money and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Musician and Radio Talk Show Host.
Where does Sturr live?
He is a resident of Florida, New York, USA, we shall upload pictures of his house as soon as we have them.
Is Jimmy dead or alive?
He is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Jimmy Sturr Contacts
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