EDITOR’S NOTE: Then & Now Historical Library ace photo finder and researcher Kathy Harman Miller outdid herself with this feature story and picture of bygone days from the Dixie Ballroom.
By Kathy Hamman Miller
Flash back to when the Melody Boys Orchestra, who was THEN considered to be one of the finest of its kind in Western Michigan, was the first band to play at the Dixie Pavilion when it opened it doors June 22, 1932.
The Dixie was located next to Doan’s Lake, just south of Wayland on old U.S. 131. It featured live music, cocktails and dancing.
It was said that the entertainment attraction was named after the road in front of the pavilion that was known by some as the Dixie Highway. There was also a Dixie high powered gasoline at the Kelly-Yeakey Auto Company, a Dixie Oils amateur ball team and a Dixie Garage in Shelbyville.
The Melody Boys were formed by Joseph Jankovich, a music teacher from Chicago, who moved to Wayland in 1929. The band’s song arrangements were done by Rudy Cernkovich, a nationally known artist also from Chicago, who was the postmaster of, and living in Bradley. Cernkovich, a native Croatia, was a composer as well.
The Melody Boys’ theme song was “Over the Waves” and were often heard playing “Beer Barrel Polka” and “Happy Days Are Here Again.” All of the band members lived close to the Dixie.
Shown in the murky old photo are band members holding their instruments (from left) Frank Arbanas, Raymond Jankovich, both holding a bicernica, Michael Novosel, with a guitar, Steve Kuhtic, with a string bass, Rudy Arbanas (Frank Arbanas’s older brother), and Joseph Jankovich, both holding a brac.
A bicernica is a Croatian instrument shaped like a ukulele, but with a longer fingerboard. The Brac instrument is a type of tamburica, a lute-like instrument popular in South and East Europe. Brac, Poland, a village, is near Drawno in Pomerania.
Frank and Rudy were brothers who moved with their families from Crested Butte, Colo., where their dad had worked in the coal mines.
Settling in Wayland, Michigan in 1920, Rudy married Esther Grzeszek who lived less than a mile from where the Hilliards Corner Lounge is now, on the corner of 18th Street and 135th Avenue, where their daughter’s band just played.
Fast forward to 35 years after her dad first played at the Dixie, Rudy Arbanas’ daughter, Mary Arbana, was a sophomore at West Catholic High School in 1967 when her friend Cindy Obetts playfully said to her “Let’s start up a band!” The girls learned a couple of songs and before long, had the name of “The 6 Pak.” With the new found talent these girls were demonstrating, the band became popular very quickly.
They worked at several popular nightclubs around Michigan including the Platters, Johnny’s Bandstand, the Sweet Note, Club Ponytail, Shelby Pavilion, and the Teen Chalet. They also performed locally at the Phoenix Position, at 44th and Kalamazoo S.E., and the 25th Hour on Pearl Street.
Many of these bookings they performed at were located at teenage nightclubs, which were extremely popular in the 1960s.
In July of 1967, The 6 Pak auditioned to perform for the Lowell Showboat celebration. The auditions were held at the downtown WZZM-TV studio with legendary jazz pioneer, Louis Armstrong being the headliner. On Aug. 12, the 6 Pak performed before Armstrong and his band.
The 6 Pak recorded at least four different times in 1968. The group recorded twice at Midwestern Sound Recording Studio on West Leonard during this same year.
The 6 Pak taped a few of the songs from their playlist, including Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” the Cream’s “I’m So Glad” and Eric Burdon and the Animals’ “Sky Pilot.”
With the girls going to college and later having growing families, they gave up performing until they reunited in May 2013 to rekindle the tradition. They played at the City of Wayland’s summer concert series on Fridays in August.
They are still a high energy, rock and roll all-girl band, which play a variety of 60’s and 70’s music striving to keep their audiences dancing, and having fun, whenever they perform.
