Paul and Steve Crljenica Inducted - San Jose 1987
	The name Crljenica has always been held in high esteem among fans of tamburitza music.  They are pioneers of tamburitza in motion pictures, popular recordings, concert and nightclub entertainment.  Jovo and Vaso Crljenica, Paul and Steve's father and brother, are already Hall of Fame members.  Now Paul and Steve join them with a revered place in the history of tamburitza music in America.
	Steve and Paul have enjoyed the best of two worlds of music.  In addition to their tamburitz virtuosity, the brothers excel on other instruments -- Paul on clarinet and saxophone, Steve on violin and trumpet.  Steve's ability to play all of the instruments in the tamburitza orchestra made him a natural to do the arranging for the orchestra.
	Both brothers began playing with the family orchestra at an early age.  At various times their father Jovo, brother Vaso, sister Mildred, brother George, and cousin Mary, all played with the group.  During the Depression, family members picked up jobs with other orchestras.  Steve, for example, played the tamburitza bass in a little-known cowboy band which was later to become the famous 'Sons of the Pioneers'.
	In 1935, the Crljenica Orchestra got its big break when it performed in the movie 'Storm at Daybreak'.  Their entrance into the world of celluloid was a success.  More movies followed, including 'The Merry Widow' with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, 'At the Balalaika', and 'Chocolate Soldier' with Nelson Eddy.  They also played in 'Ride a Crooked Mile' with Akim Tamiroff and the horror classic 'The Cat People'.  In the movie 'Second Chorus', the brothers played Moonlight (Shining Moon) as Fred Astaire danced for Paulette Goddard.
	In 1937, Paul, Steve, and Vaso joined with Micha Dvorak and John Zivic to form the Crljenica Brothers Continental Five.  At the same time, Steve, a student at the University of Southern California, started teaching tamburitza to groups of youngsters in Los Angeles and San Pedro.  In 1941, he taught an older group of musicians in Los Angeles, the Veseli Seljaci.  He and his brother Vaso also taught two other groups, the Srpski Seljaci and the Yugoslav Club of San Pedro.  Paul, meanwhile, played with the Latin band of Carlos Molino and in two movie comedies, 'You Got Me Covered' with Bob Hope, and the Hope, Crosby, and Lamour hit 'The Road to Morocco'.
	During World War II, the talented brothers were enlisted into army bands that had the distinction of performing for Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, General Eisenhower, and at General Patton's funeral.  Ironically, the brothers later performed tamburitza music for the movie 'Patton' starring George C. Scott.  One of the high points in Steve's life came when he was selected to play trombone in a special army orchestra that accompanied the great soprano Lili Pons.  The orchestra was conducted by Andre Kostelanetz.
	Following the war, the brothers continued their studies, Paul at Cal-Poly and Steve at Southern California School of Music and Arts.  There Steve had the privilege of studying composition under the renowned contemporary composer Ernst Krenek.  During this time, the Crljenica orchestra returned to the recording studio to make tamburitza history with 'Hora Staccato', 'Moonlight', and many other fine numbers.
	Steve taught at the California Institute of Music and Arts and then went to work at the Walt Disney Studios in the music department.  He worked in several Disney TV shows and in the movie 'Gus', the story of a football-kicking Yugoslav mule.  Paul continued to expand musically by forming his own jazz combo.
	In the 1960s, the brothers played for the soundtracks of movie greats such as 'Taras Bulba', 'Lawrence of Arabia', and the award-winning 'Doctor Zhivago'.  They are featured in the song from that movie 'Laras Theme'.
	Steve was the guest conductor in 1968 for the C.F.U. Junior Tamburitzans' national concert.  Soon afterwards, the brothers were joined by Steve's daughters, Linda and Stephanie, to make a series of recordings, including the albums 'Tambura', 'The Best of the Crljenica Brothers', and 'Tambura Two'.  These albums contain Steve's compositions 'Salje Pozdrav', 'Tamburitza Boogie', 'Kroz Cijelu Noc', and other favorites.
	Steve and Paul Crljenica embrace all facets of the tamburitza and demonstrate its versatility with their mastery of becar or folk music.  They have rightfully earned a place of distinction in the Tamburitza Hall of Fame.
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