Bud Hyrczyk grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Much of his childhood was spent listening to Slovenian-style music played on the button box by his grandfather and uncles. Additionally he was exposed to many other forms of music by his mother who played piano and loved to sing.
He received his first accordion at the age of 11 and studied the standards along with classical and semi-classical music for several years. He then started playing in various bands at the age of 13 and finally formed a family band at the age of 21. The band was called Bud Hyrczyk and The Sounds of Time.
He began playing the button box when he started the family band, and he never went back to playing the piano accordion again. When it comes to Slovenian polkas and waltzes he feels that the button box is nearly an extension of the human voice. It allows you to better express yourself in this genre of music.
He released his first button box album in 1983, called Buttons Buttons Buttons (long since sold out) and also became the director of the Yukon Button Box Club. The button box cub entertained both nationally and internationally.
Unfortunately, Bud stopped playing in 1986 and didn’t pick up the button box again for nearly 25 years until March of 2010. He immediately started composing new songs and recording them at his home studio, playing all of the parts himself. Later that same year in November 2010, Bud released his first recording since 1983, called Fly Away With Me.
During the first half of 2011 Bud worked with HG Studio in Wisconsin to produce his latest recording, titled, If You Only Believe. The new recording was released in June, 2011 and features 17 brand new, original, polkas and waltzes. This time, like with his 1983 release, Bud is backed by a Cleveland-style, all-star band. The new CD is a must-have for the collection of any fans of Slovenian-style, button box music.
