When Joe Hrycyk’s Starlite Band, took the stage at the St. Michael Malanka last weekend, band leader Michael Hrycyk was carrying on a family tradition over 125 years old. In 1918, Hrycyk’s grandfather, Philip Hrycyk, played the dulcimer in his family’s band with his sister Phyllis on guitar and brother John on the drums. The drums and dulcimer were built by Philip’s brother Paul.
“It’s where it all started,” Hrycyk said, as he flips through old black and white family photos. He smiled and pointed to one, showing his dad as a young man in a stark white shirt and black bow tie posing with three other band mates and a fiddle tucked under his chin.
“See here? Here’s his band (that) he started in 1954,” Michael said proudly.
The Joe Hrycyk Starlite band has been rocking the halls of Lamont County and beyond for decades, making several friends, meeting musicians and seeing careers blossom along the way. In 2000, the band held their second reunion, the first was in 1996, inviting past members, friends and family to celebrate the Starlites’ history and their future. Along with organizing a celebration, they put together a keepsake book of stories and photos which included a story detailing Hrycyk’s late father Joe’s history.
As the story is told, Joe’s fascination with the fiddle was inspired by Fred Samborsky; a local fiddle player who played with a band at house parties and weddings where Joe attended with his family.
History repeated when Hrycyk was a boy. Only instead of being dazzled by a fiddle player at weddings and dances, Hrycyk couldn’t take his eyes off the accordion player.
“When I was a little guy, I always would go with Dad to weddings and stuff like that. He dragged me around and there was a fellow by the name of Alec Leduc,” said Hrycyk. “I guess he was my idol. He just impressed me. I fell in love with the way he played the accordion, and that was my instrument.”
Hrycyk said he started taking lessons when he was 10 years old from a man who still plays with him in the Starlite band today.
“Stan Ostafie was my accordion instructor,” he said. “He played with us (at Malanka) and in my dad’s band too, way back when.”
Another former member of the Starlites band from the early 60s was a six-year-old girl with an incredible voice named Gloria Kolmatyski, who joined with her older brother Paul. The Kolmatyski’s, both on vocals, played several dances with the Starlites, and made a record with them in 1963. It was the first of four records for the band in total, although the only one with the Kolmatyskis, and the last one the band recorded was in 2003. Hrycyk, who is the same age as Gloria, remembers a day around 1966 when they met the famous Tommy Hunter at an event in Edmonton.
“I can remember because I was there,” said Hrycyk. “We were behind stage and he brought his guitar in and he squatted down and he was playing while she sang for him. And he listened to her.
And then before you knew it, he took her on. She moved down to Toronto did a bunch of shows down there. And from there, she moved down to Los Angeles. She wrote a whole bunch of songs for movies. And she’s in Los Angeles right now.”
Today Gloria Kaye has been married to music composer Richard Bellis since 1980 and has enjoyed a long career singing and writing songs for several movies.
Meanwhile, Hrycyk’s own family grew along with the members of his band. Today, Hrycyk enjoys playing in the band with his son Shawn, 45, on drums, and grandsons Wyatt, 16, on bass, and Isaac, 14, who plays guitar. Additionally, the band also includes long-time members Larry Bucholz on guitar, who has played with the Starlites since 1990, and Lisa Gould who has been with them on the fiddle since 2009. Hrycyk said Gould began with the Starlites when Joe had surgery and was unable to perform.
“He’d had some surgery. And he wasn’t able. Then slowly he kept going down. He played a few times, but it was pretty tough for him,” said Hrycyk. “(At the) Ukrainian Heritage Village (in 2014) he struggled with that very much. That was actually his last (performance).”
Joe Hrycyk passed away on Sept. 9, 2016 at the age of 84.
Today, Hrycyk is filled with pride watching his grandchildren take part in the long-held musical tradition and said that his 10-year-old granddaughter, Ariel, is also currently taking violin lessons.
Hrycyk’s grandson, Wyatt, said that he feels proud to be a part of a fifth-generation family band.
“It feels awesome. (I’m very proud),” he said. “We will (carry on the tradition).”
Hrycyk took out a worn violin case, snapped it open, and pulled out a shiny violin. The violin belonged to his father, Joe and was one of two that were left to the family when Joe passed away. Hrycyk examined the violin carefully, looking for a date he was sure was stamped somewhere on the instrument.
“Here it is,” he said tipping the violin so he could read an inscription. “(It was made in) 1928 and he bought it for $128.50 from an F. Kucy. It was rebuilt and varnished in 1978 by Peter Jakubowski.”
The Joe Hrycyk Starlite band plays the St. Michael Malanka every Jan. in addition to event bookings.
Jana Semeniuk
Staff Reporter
