Leonard R. “Lenny Rich” Siedlik

Leonard Richard Siedlik was born on September 12th, 1945, in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents were Joseph and Rose Siedlik. Lenny is married to Susan Jo Siedlik and Lenny has two songs: Jeffrey and Chad Siedlik. Lenny has a sister, Mary Purnell, living in Kansas and a brother, “Big Joe” Siedlik, who passed away in 2018.
Lenny grew up in the St. Stanislaus Parish area and attended grade school at St. Stans in South Omaha, and graduated from high school at Omaha South in 1963. He then went to the University of Nebraska Omaha and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1970.
Lenny played drums in the South High School Orchestra and Marching Band all four years and was nominated to perform drum solos at the All City Music Festival at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
Lenny was inspired to play accordion by his uncle Ted Olechoski, a master accordionist, who played with many Czech bands, and was a regular with The Golden Prague, Red Raven, and Charlie Kucera Orchestras.
Lenny took accordion lessons from the famed Johnny Swoboda‘s Accordion Studio when he was 12 years old, and began playing for tips on Sunday afternoons at the South Omaha Polish Home when he was 15 years old. At age 17, he started writing music and formed the Lenny Rich Polka Band a year later. The band has recorded several record albums over his 30 years as a bandleader. He also often filled in as a DJ for the Big Joe Polka show on the radio.
Lenny’s band has played in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, all over Nebraska and as far away as the Disneyland Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
Lenny also plays bass guitar and concertina. He contributes the success of his band to all of the wonderful people that followed and supported them and owes a tribute to the dedicated and extremely talented musicians:

All of these guys made the journey so much fun.

Source: Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, September 10th, 2023