Rudy Kolich Inducted - St. Louis 2000
	Born in 1928 to Karl and Anna (Matasich) Kolich, Rudy started playing trumpet in the sixth grade, switching to tuba for the high school marching band, and stand-up bass for the school orchestra. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the Navy, during which time he played mandolin with a small combo. After his discharge from the service, he went to work at Republic Steel, retiring in 1990 after 46 years of service. In 1951, Rudy married Mary Gullias. They have two daughters, Linda (Morock) and Kathy, and a grandson, Steven.
	Rudy began his tamburitza music career in 1949, playing prim with the Plavi Jadran Tamburitzans of Massillon, Ohio. In 1954, he became a member of the Djoko Pribich Tamburitzans, playing bugaria. Throughout the fifties, this group could be heard almost every weekend, playing for the Serbo-Croatian communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. On Sundays, Plavi Jadran was featured on the WTIG Massillon radio station.
	In the early sixties, Rudy founded the Continental Four, playing both stand-up and electric bass. Along with Mirko Roknich and several others, the band played both American and tamburitza music and was booked solid for several years. As the bookings for tamburitza music increased, the Continental Four was disbanded and, in 1965, the Mirko Roknich Orchestra was formed. With Mirko on accordion, Rudy on bugaria, Artie Kropaj on cello and brac, and Lou Vuich on bass, the orchestra entertained tamburitza music lovers for almost thirty years. In the mid-eighties, the group added Jerry Grcevich on prim and brac and Bob Sestilli replaced Lou on bass.
	In the seventies, the orchestra produced three albums and entertained from Canada to the Caribbean. Appearances included the annual Tamburitza Extravaganzas, Kennywood Park's Serbian Day and boat ride on the Monongahela River, and Serbian national golf tournaments in locations as far away as Arizona, Florida, and California. During several of these appearances, the orchestra had the honor of accompanying the late Vinka Ellison as well as various artists from Europe. The group was also selected on two occasions to entertain guests on the cruise ship Festivale; a highlight of these cruises was providing entertainment at the traditional Captain's Ball.
	Over the years, Rudy lent a helping hand to promote the appreciation of tamburitza music. Whether it was filling in if a band was shorthanded or donating his time teaching so that a boy could audition for the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, Rudy's love of the music was apparent. Although 'officially' retired from playing music in 1995, you can still find Rudy playing with Prijatelji of Akron, Ohio, or just jamming with friends.
	In addition to being involved in music, Rudy was honored as a fifty-year member of the Croatian Fraternal Union. He is also a member of the Serbian National Federation.
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