Trustees Honor Roll

Polka Producer and Promoter (1942)
Inducted on November 29, 1997

As a youth in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Steve Popovich was a tamburitzan and played bass in a Rock & Roll/ Polka band. Working his way up from the warehouse to Columbia Records' headquarters, Steve became a promoter for stars including Barbra Streisand, Andy Williams, Johny Cash, and Chicago. As an A&R man, Steve signed Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Charlie Daniels, Michael Jackson, and others. At his own Cleveland International Records, Steve released Meatloafs "Bat Out of Hell," one of the top-selling albums of all time. On the Cleveland-Style front, Steve co-produced the first Grammy-winning polka album, Frank Yankovic's "70 Years of Hits," and subsequent albums including the "Frank Yankovic & Friends" series featuring stars from across the recording industry. Drawing on his connections, Steve was instrumental in the publication of a 1996 "Billboard" feature article on Cleveland-Style Polkas.