Gene Thomas (1941- ) and The Jolly Brothers
Inducted 2005
Gene Tomaszewski grew up on St. Croix Street in Roseville, Minnesota and as a young boy was always interested in music. He played the accordion and then tried the banjo. In third grade he finally settled with the clarinet, and in eighth grade Gene studied under Al Damm, who was First Chair clarinetist for the Minneapolis Symphony. The orginal Jolly Brothers Band included Joe, Gene, and Fred Tomaszewski plus other great musicians. The Jolly Brothers recorded ten albums, and from 1969 to 1971 performed for KSTP-TV’s The Polka Beat Show, which aired on Saturday afternoons in the Twin Cities.
