2014 Polka America Corp.- "Frankie" Award winner
2013 Chicago Music Awards "Lifetime Achievement" Recipient
Chicago Music Awards "Best Polka Entertainer" 2012
Celebrating over 50 years of Polka Entertainment
Eddie Korosa, Jr.
 and his Boys from Illinois
P.O. Box 115 Summit, Illinois 60501
(773) 586-3719
      Polka Emergency: (773) 919-3719


Eddie Korosa and the Boys have been playing together since 1976 playing polkas, big band, rock and roll and country music, performing on television, radio and in movies as well as by invitation all over the world. The band has played numerous polka festivals in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Hawaii, the Carribbean and South America.

In the U.S., the band regularly appears at Polkafests in Las Vegas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois and Florida. The band performs regularly at weddings, anniversary parties, church sponsored fests, Moose Lodges, Elk Lodges, VFW Halls, American Legion Halls as well as festivals at Navy Pier in Chicago, The Arlington Million, the Museum of Science and Industry's "Christmas Around the World" exhibit and numerous Chicago Public Libraries during National Polish Heritage Month.

Eddie started playing drums with his dad's band when he was seven years old, and the played weekly on his parent's Emmy nominated television show, Eddie Korosa's Polka Party from 1970-1984. When he was ten, Eddie played drums for his dad, America's Prince of Polkas, as the opening set for Bobby Vinton at the Holiday Star Theater and when Pope John Paul II's motorcade stopped at the Baby Doll Polka Club in 1979. He also frequently played drums with Frankie Yankovic, America's Polka King. Eddie performed with many other polka legends including Lil' Wally, Eddie Blazonczyk, Roman Possedi, Florien Chmielewski, Myron Floren, Frankie Kramer and Jimmy Sturr. he soon began playing the accordion and a button box made for him in Germany. Eddie was voted "Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year" in 1996 and "Accordion Player of the Year" in 1997 by the United Polka Association.

Eddie has been frequently featured in the media. Eddie and his Boys were selected from polka bands auditions from all over the U.S. for the Pepsi commercial, "Create Your Own CD", aired nationwide in June, July and August 2001. (you can see this commercial here). He welcomes the World Cup Soccer team to Chicago at a party at O'Hare Intl. Airport and was John Candy's Polka Band, the "Kenosha Kickers" in the hit movie "Home Alone". Television coverage includes a segment on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", "Jenny Jones Show", the movie "The Fugitive", and "Wild Chicago" and "Metromix TV" magazine television show. PBS's Chicago Stories series entitled "POLONIA: The Story of Polish Chicago" featured Eddie and "The Boys" with friends at the Baby Doll Polka Club. Eddie is a favorite of "Chicago's Very Own Channel 9" morning news broadcasts. When cooking guru, Emeril Lagasse prepared Polish culinary favorites, Eddie was invited to provide music. Eddie's 9th album "CLASSICS" was nominated for Grammy consideration in 2008.

Eddie Korosa Jr. and the Boys from Illinois have been featured in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. He was the lead story on the evening news in Oahu, Hawaii as he played the Beer Barrel Polka on the accordion wearing a grass skirt. In Iron World, Mn, he was seen sailing down the river playing as the crowd danced the polka on the shore. He also entertained the audience at the Steppenwolf Theater during the play "Evelyn and the Polka King". Live radio show performances include WLUP-FM and CD-94.7, two of Chicago's top stations. Columbia College television network in Chicago featured Eddie introducing polka music to college students.

Even though polkas are Eddie's favorites music, the band plays your favorite standards, from big band waltzes and swing to rock and roll, country, and even line dances, from the '20's to the '70's. With the closing of the world famous Baby Doll Polka Club in 2004 (after 50 years), Eddie carries on the "family tradition" of musical entertainment locally and nationally.

Proud Member of:

Polka Lovers Club of America
(St. Louis, Minnesota
and Springfield,IL)
Let's Polka USA Club
Midwest Polka Assn.
Friend of Tinley Park Library
(Tinley Park, IL)
Senior Polka Assc. South
American Federation of Musicians
Croation Cultural Center
Slovenian Womans Union
Loyal Order of the Moose
(since 1982)