Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Walt Groller began his music career at the age of 14, when he formed a polka orchestra and toured eastern Pennsylvania. Traditional Austrian music was Groller's biggest influence. In the 1950s, Groller signed to Stellar Records and released several records through them, including "New Christmas Songs." The Walt Groller Orchestra broke up when Groller was enlisted in the Korean War, but he restarted the band after he returned. Over the course of his career, Groller and his orchestra performed in Eastern Europe on numerous occasions and had a weekly television show, "Cafe Internationale." Groller was inducted into the International Polka Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
The Mon Valley Push -- short for Monongahela Valley Push -- are a polka band based in Daisytown, a small town in Southwest Pennsylvania. This band features six performers who play instruments such as the accordion, trumpet, bass and drums. The band's leader is Frank Setar, who was born in the Monongahela Valley region. As of May 2011, Mon Valley Push have recorded one album, "Reality." The band performs in band halls and polka festivals in the Midwest and Northeast United States.
Based out of Hazelton, the Golden Tones are a six-piece polka band who perform in band halls, polka dances, wedding receptions and block parties throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. Each of Golden Tones' six band members have more than 30 years of polka music experience. The lead member is Richie Machey, who plays the saxophone and clarinet. The other band members play accordion, concertina trumpet, keyboards, bass and drums. The Golden Tones play Chicago Push-style polka, which uses two trumpets and a concertina.
The Joe Grkman Band are based in South Park, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh. This band plays Slovenian-style polka, which is noted for its use of various accordions; those used by the Joe Grkman Band include the piano accordion, chromatic accordion and button box accordion. The band's leader, Joe Grkman, founded the band in 1967 and has gained a fan following in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 1995, Grkman became a member of the Polka Hall of Fame Trustees Honor Roll, one of the most distinguished honors bestowed to an American polka musician.