{{short description|American accordionist and producer (born 1949)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Joey Miskulin | image = File:Riders {{sic|A|ccordian|hide=y}}.jpg | image_size = 260px | caption = Joey Miskulin performing as "Joey the CowPolka King" | birth_name = Joseph Michael Miskulin | alias = Joey the CowPolka King | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|1|6}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | genre = Western swing | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|accordion}} | years_active = 1960–present | label = | associated_acts = Riders in the Sky | website = {{URL|http://www.ridersinthesky.com}} }} '''Joseph Michael Miskulin''' (born January 6, 1949) is an American accordionist and producer. In a music career spanning more than four decades, Joey Miskulin has collaborated with a range of artists including Johnny Cash, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, Paul McCartney, Ricky Skaggs, Ricky Van Shelton, Andy Williams, Frankie Yankovic, as well as many others. He is a performer, studio musician, producer and pedagogue.
==Early life== As a child, the only child of Slovenian and Croatian parents,<ref name="miskulin parents">{{cite web | title = Accordion Legend Joey Miskulin to Receive the 2019 AAA Lifetime Achievement Award | url = http://www.ameraccord.com/articles/Miskulin.htm | access-date =2023-07-21}}</ref> in Chicago, Miskulin displayed early signs of musical prodigy, spontaneously showing an interest in the accordion by the time he was four.<ref name="Yamaha">{{cite web | title = Joey Miskulin | url = http://www.yamaha.com/Artists/ArtistDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D544207%252526CTID%25253D551078%252526CNTYP%25253DARTIST,00.html | access-date = 2009-01-14 | archive-date = 2009-02-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090204212928/http://www.yamaha.com/Artists/ArtistDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D544207%252526CTID%25253D551078%252526CNTYP%25253DARTIST,00.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> Beginning music training a year later, Joey was performing professionally by age eleven with the Ronnie Lee Band, and had his first recording produced by Roman Possedi at age twelve.<ref name="Yamaha"/> A year later, the boy would meet Frankie Yankovic, forming a personal and professional relationship with the man known as "America's Polka King" that would last a lifetime.
==Performing career== Miskulin toured the United States with Yankovic as his featured accordionist for six years, writing and arranging songs between performances.<ref name="clevelandstyle">{{cite web | title = Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Miskulin, Joey | url = http://www.clevelandstyle.com/awards_lifetime_Miskulin_Joey.html | access-date =2009-01-14}}</ref>
In the 1990s, he rejoined Riders In The Sky, and with them is billed as "Joey the Cowpolka King".
==Further reading== Dolgan, Bob (2006). ''America's Polka King: The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic''. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers. {{ISBN|978-1-59851-026-3}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{Riders in the Sky}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miskulin, Joey}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Chicago Category:21st-century American accordionists