Marv Herzog

Marv Herzog was born August 9, 1932 in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Music played an important role in the Herzog family – his parents played instruments and taught their children to sing. They cherished the German songs their ancestors brought to America when they emigrated but they also enjoyed country music performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. When Frankie Yankovic began playing his accordion and touring the country performing with his polka band, polka music was featured on a radio show in Flint, Michigan. Marv’s interest in the accordion grew and when he was twelve, a neighbor brought him one and showed him where the C, G, and F chords were on the left hand. Marv practiced for an hour everyday. He learned songs by remembering how they sounded, then practiced them until they were committed to memory. He could play virtually any song in any key just by listening to them and did this with no music lessons. Father of Rhonda Herzog From these early beginnings came a unique style of music Marv Herzog perfected and thousands of people across the nation enjoyed. He formed his first band at the age of 14 and on New Year’s Eve in 1946, was hired by a club for their party. In 1963, he purchased his first Cordovox, an organ/accordion instrument that propelled him to greater musical success. He began recording albums and as his popularity grew, he booked festivals and dances in other states, and sponsored tours to Germany where his band also performed. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Polka Association Hall of Fame. In 1996, he celebrated 50 years in music with a program recorded on a DVD. In 2002, at the age of 70, he passed away after an 18 month battle with pancreatic cancer. He is buried in the St Lorenz Lutheran Church Cemetery in Frankenmuth. Bio from marvherzog.com