Roman 'Romy' Louis Gosz was a popular and commercially successful polka musician in the upper Midwest.
16 Facts About Romy Gosz
1.
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Romy Gosz was born on August 2,1910, in Grimms, Wisconsin, to Paul and Anna Gosz, the fourth of their seven children.
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At age 7, Romy Gosz would take his first and only piano lesson.
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When he was 11, Romy Gosz joined his father Paul and his older brother's, George and Mike, in forming the Paul Romy Gosz Orchestra.
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Still a minor, Romy Gosz was unable to conduct business and manage the band legally, so he retained his father's name for the group.
6.
Early on, Romy Gosz determined that his group should focus on the making of records and live performances.
7.
Romy Gosz thought that playing over the radio on a regular basis would be detrimental to the band's traveling and the resulting opportunity to interact with their audiences.
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On July 5,1929, Romy Gosz married Antoinette Leggio at St Anne Catholic Church in Francis Creek, Wisconsin, the same parish where he had attended school as a boy.
9.
In 1948, Romy Gosz purchased a home with an adjacent Tavern and Dance Hall at "Polifka's Corners" near Kellnersville.
10.
Originally an old Bohemian waltz called "Sveskova Alej", Romy Gosz increased the song's tempo and added some double tonguing to the trumpet part.
11.
On June 9,1948, Romy Gosz took part in a battle of the bands at the Milwaukee Arena.
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Less frequently, Romy Gosz played in Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
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Romy Gosz handled all of his own bookings, and not being the most attentive businessman, he often double-booked his gigs.
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Whenever this happened, Romy Gosz would hire a pickup band and play one engagement, and he would send his orchestra to work the other.
15.
Romy Gosz recorded over 180 tunes during his lifetime for a variety of labels, including Broadway, Brunswick, Columbia, Coral, Decca, King, Mercury, Mono, Okeh, Polkaland, Universal and Vocalion.
16.
The members of the Romy Gosz bands changed over time as well, with each of the following musicians accompanying Romy Gosz on either a recording session or a live performance.