Trustees Honor Roll

Benedict, Ernie

Accordionist and Bandleader (1917)
Inducted on: November 28, 1989

Originally from Green River, Wyoming. Ernie Benedict came east to launch his dual career leading the Range Riders, Cleveland's leading country-western band, and the Polkateers, a versatile Cleveland-style polka band. With guests like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, Ernie's "Range Riders" shows on WGAR achieved the highest ratings on Cleveland radio. His "Polka Picnic" TV shows on WNBK and WEWS paid tribute to the city's ethnic heritage with polka, waltzes, obereks, tarantellas, kolos and the czardas. Ernie's prolific career on the airwaves included more than 5,000 local and national broadcasts. Based at Ernie's Harmony Ranch in Chagrin Falls, both of his bands performed throughout the Midwest, New York, Pennsylvania and Canada. Their recordings for Standard, Continental and RCA were distributed internationally.