Frank Kapugi Inducted - Chicago 1980
	Frank Kapugi was born on December 31, 1912, in Chicago, Illinois.  He was the second of eight children born to Adam and Milka Kapudjija, and has six brothers and one sister.  Frank's mother took Frank and his older brother Marty to Europe when he was only one year old and there he stayed for twelve years.
	In 1925, the Kapudjija family moved back to Chicago and it was there that Frank began his bass-playing career as a musician.  With his brother Marty playing brac and arranging the music, and his brother Louis on bugarija and Adam on cello, Frank embarked on what would later become fifty years of memorable and cherished musical ventures.  In the thirties the Kapugi Brothers made many 78 recordings on the Decca, RCA, Balkan, and Zora labels.
	While getting his musical career off to a healthy start, Frank also began his other vocation as a painter, from which he recently retired after over 35 years of service.  He also found enough time to court the lovely Mille Kovacevich, and they were married in 1938.  Frank and Millie have been married for 42 years and have raised four wonderful children, Joseph, Barbara, Patsy, and Christine, who in turn have brought forth eight grandchildren.
	Frank and his brothers went into business in 1946 and opened the famous Tamburitza Cafe.  Frank remained in the business with his brother Louis until 1950, and the club was later sold in 1952.  Also in the fifties and sixties, Frank was the backbone of the Sar Planina Orchestra that saw the likes of musicians such as Mel Dokich, Julius Peskan, Matt Jurisic, Horace Mamala, Tony Markulin, and the late super prima Steve Makarewich.
	It was during the mid-fifties to early sixties that Frank and Marty and their Sar Planina Orchestra performed numerous engagements on the WGN television program International Cafe, with Rudy Orisek as the host of the show.  The show was later brought back for the few brief but memorable months in the later part of 1970-1971.
	Frank has been an active member of the Chicago Musicians Union Local #10-208 for over 47 years, and was also a member of the once popular Tamburitza Symphony Orchestra of years back.  In 1978, Frank and Marty Kapugi were honored for 50 years of continuous tambura playing, with over 1000 people in attendance at Chicago's Lexington House.  The tribute was fitting for so many years of contribution and dedication to tambura music.
	Today, Frank still plays the bass with Horace Mamala on bugarija, Walter Pravica on violin, and brother Marty singing and playing cello.  He is also very active with the four year old Chicago Tambura ensemble, of which the great Adam N. Popovich is director.  This fine orchestra accompanies the Serbian Singing Society Sloboda in many of its concerts and appearances throughout the country; it is comprised of over 25 musicians from the South Chicago and Calumet regional area.
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