Ray Valek
(1917-2018)
Inducted 2006
There is a saying, “To be Czech is to be musical”. The Valek family of Lonsdale, Minnesota is no exception. His first memory of music is begging his great-grandfather to play his violin. At the age of 11 his father bought a button accordion for Ray to play. In his teens at neighborhood gatherings, he had the opportunity to play drums and received great acclamation from the audience. This marked the beginning of Ray’s drumming career. In 1946, Ray joined a band & The Musicians Union and received about $5 per night for hitting the drums at dances. In 1954 Ray bought a new drum set and played them until he retired. In 2005 at the age of 88, Valek played over 70 times with various groups for parades, television show Bandwagon broadcast from The Kato Ballroom in Mankato, weddings, anniversaries, dances, bars, church functions, community festivals, and polka fests. His music career as a drummer topped 80 years! Ray Valek is living proof that “to be a Czech is to be musical”.
