Mollie B is a well-known award-winning vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and most recognized as the host of the Mollie B Polka Party TV show. She recently featured in Clint Eastwood’s movie, “The Mule” as herself and she is a 2015 Iowa Polka Hall of Fame inductee and the Favorite Female Vocalist award, winner.
Mollie B Early Years with her Fathers
Mollie B was born on June 24, 1979 Spring Grove, Minnesota. She grew up in Minnesota, her father Jim Busta had his own band “The Jim Busta Band”, as a result she started performing with the Jim Busta Band, as well as started composing her original songs and arranged music for her father’s band just at the age 3. Mollie also loved to danced with people, she once quote “she loved to dance with her siblings, mom, polka friends, and even lots of people she didn’t know.”
Talking about her education, Mollie done bachelor’s and master’s in music. She also received a B.A. in trumpet and voice from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where her senior paper was focused on polka music. She also holds an M.A. in Instruction from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. In addition to performing with her father growing up, Mollie also played with her school bands and choirs for many years.
In 2005, Mollie joined Ted Lange’s band called the Bratwurst Boys. A few years later in 2007, Mollie and Ted, a 2-time Grammy nominee, changed the band’s name to SqueezeBox. She currently still performs with SqueezeBox alongside her husband Ted Lange.
Mollie B Relationship with Ted Lange
Mollie B is happily married to her husband Ted Lange, who is also her longtime bandmate in the band SqueezeBox. The couple married on October 19, 2011 and also working together.
However, Mollie first met Ted in 2005 when she joined his band, which was then known as the Bratwurst Boys. In 2007, the couple changed the band’s name to SqueezeBox. Ted and Mollie have grown SqueezeBox from eight local shows a year to more than 100 shows a year around the United States.
Along with their collaboration on music, Ted co-produced Mollie’s television show, The Mollie B Polka Party, which debuted on RFD-TV and FamilyNet in March 2011.
Are Mollie B and Ted Lange’s Divorced? Rumors Explained
Recently there are some rumors of couple divorce, However Mollie B and her husband Ted Lange appear to still be together both on stage and off. Despite the rumors the couple announce “New CD by Ted Lange and Mollie B” on their YouTube. Mollie and Ted also performed live together and on Off-stage, Ted Lange co-manages SqueezeBox alongside his wife Mollie.
Who is Ted Lange?
Ted Lange is a also famous polka musician, a two-time Grammy nominee and an inductee into the International Polka Association’s Hall of Fame. He also won the IPA’s Best International Male Vocalist award three years straight in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
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Just like Mollie, Ted got an early start in polka music at age 5, playing drums in his family’s band called The Buckeye Polka Band in Northwest Ohio. Additionally, he collaborated with many local polka bands in Michigan and Ohio. This contains, among other bands, Bette’s Polka Band, The Happy Times Polka Band, The Polka Brats, and The Maumee Valley Polka Band.
Prior to rebranding, Ted founded the group in the late 1990s under the name The Bratwurst Boys.
Career
Mollie began playing with the Jim Busta Band when she was three years old, and she began playing the piano when she was eight. She has since performed with other groups, including the Toledo Symphony, Maggie Mae & the Heartland Country Band, the Rhythm Cats (AZ), award-winning SqueezeBox, 18-time Grammy Award winner Jimmy Sturr, and many more.
The Penny Gilley Show, the Jimmy Sturr Show, and the Big Joe Polka Show are among the TV shows on which she has appeared. She still performs in the Norsk Hostfest in Minot, North Dakota, which is a four-day entertainment event. For five years, Mollie also hosted a Christmas Show in Branson, which featured numerous Grammy-nominated guests. Mollie is a character that many people may recognize from the 2017 Wisconsin Public Television documentary “POLKA!” Mollie was the host of this 90-minute documentary about Wisconsinns’ use of polka music to celebrate life.
In addition to appearing on more than 40 records, Mollie has played for fans in more than 30 states, traveled on multiple cruise ships across 13 countries, and continues to inspire upcoming musicians with her passion for music. Mollie has received multiple awards from the International Polka Association and the United States Polka Association, including the title of “Favorite Female Vocalist.” For her polka albums with Ted Lange, she has also received numerous honors from the Polka America Corporation. In addition, Mollie was inducted into the Iowa Polka Hall of Fame in 2015 and received the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame’s “2013 Polka Promoter of the Year” honor.
Mollie formed her “Mollie B & Friends” band in 2024 when SqueezeBox took a hiatus from touring. The band played in Helen, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, and Iowa.
