William “Wee Willie” Makovsky
(1940-2014)
Inducted 2009
“Wee Willie” Makovsky pretended to play drums with a dish pan and spoons at a young age. At age five his father came home with a two-row button box accordion, and they started performing at house parties together. By age eight Willie had his first gig at a wedding reception, and by age 13 he had learned to play the concertina. In 1961 Willie would regularly perform at a bar & grocery store called the Wee Town Store in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. From that location a band was formed and named The Wee Willie Band. In 1986 the band moved to Minneapolis and performed at festivals throughout the Midwest, then moved back up north eventually setting in Moorhead, Minnesota. The Wee Willie Band was awarded Band of the Year by The Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association and recorded dozens of albums on vinyl record, cassette, and CD.
