Archival Buffalo News feature articles

  An unforgettable character at the beginning of his bizarre career. How bizarre did it get? See the footnote.   Sept. 18, 1976 Teen-age Polka Whirlwind Plans All-Star Musical   THE BUFFALO AREA’S youngest polka promoter answers the door of his parents’ West Seneca home in the same way he does everything – with a precocious buoyance that leaves the senses slightly overwhelmed.           One recovers enough to shake Bernie Zolnowski’s hand and follow this 15½-year-old whirlwind to the room where his polkamania is headquartered.           There’s a drum set (he’s a pickup drummer for polka bands), a pair of turntables from which he’s broadcast polkas (with FCC approval) over Citizens Band Radio Channel 14, half his polka albums (the other 250 are out on loan) and posters for polka shows.           Right now most of his energy is focused toward the Polka Blast he’s putting on Sept. 26 in the Sky Room, 2186 Seneca St. at Cazenovia.           On stage from noon to whene

  There were many perks to writing for the arts and entertainment pages in the 1970s and one of the best was the assignment to cover the press conference that impresario Lew Fisher hosted for stars who were beginning a week-long run at Melody Fair in North Tonawanda . The stars were inevitably gracious and, for us rapacious reporters, there was always a splendid spread of hors d’oeuvres.   Sept. 8, 1976 Tennessee Ernie’s Life Is an Open Book   “Ninety percent of everything I talked about last night was the truth,” Tennessee Ernie Ford is saying Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in the Executive Motor Inn in Cheektowaga .           For the story-telling entertainer, making one of his rare Eastern public appearances now through Sunday night under the Melody Fair dome in North Tonawanda , the truth is often amazing enough.           Consider the tales that could come from boyhood in eastern Tennessee, working as a radio announcer in the ‘30s and ‘40s, having the fastest

  A bicentennial extravaganza, this one. It was supposed to be the year’s third Summerfest show at Rich Stadium, but got diverted to the Aud instead.   Sept. 3, 1976   Beach Boys Sail Through Oldies And 17,000 Have ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’             The Beach Boys paid their most triumphal visit to Western New York Thursday night in a manner completely appropriate to the summer of Operation Sail.           The Memorial Auditorium stage was a dock to which was tied a model of a tall-masted ship. Lights outlined imaginary sails. Stalwart singer Mike Love wore a T-shirt inscribed: “Office Crew Yacht Harmony.”           Their jolly crew totaled 14, with five horn players on deck. That’s not counting two little daughters in red jumpsuits who came out to add their voices at the end.           The big group put a tidal wave of power behind the Beach Boys’ ocean of fabled surfing hits. “Help Me Rhonda.” With three keyboards churning rhythm, threw all sheets to the wind halfway through