How ‘Barefoot Becky’ Got Her Name

Mix three cups of German-style polka music with one cup of Czech music, and a half-cup each of country,  big band, and party favorites, and you’ve got a recipe for fun with a band that’s really cookin’! That’s what you get when you see a live performance featuring Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen, a group based out of Mt Vernon, Iowa.

The band, featuring Becky Livermore on accordion and vocals, has been performing throughout the United States since 1988. People remember the band best by two things: Becky’s bare feet! She started playing barefoot simply because it was more comfortable than playing with shoes on.

People seemed to think it was pretty funny and have really come to expect it. Now the ‘barefoot’ motif is on almost everything they have, like their music stands, posters, and custom made mugs and t-shirts.

It all started when Becky’s mom and dad took the family to polka dances in Swisher, IA. They would carry the kids around the dance floor until they were old enough to walk and learn to dance themselves. Becky loved to dance, but was always just as interested in the bands and would sit by the stage to watch and listen.

Becky began playing the accordion when she was 10 years old. Becky loved to play the accordion and would practice for hours each day. Sometimes she’d go outside to get away from her brother and sister’s complaining. This had to have been where playing barefoot came from. Those kids rarely wore shoes around the farm. It just seemed second nature to go everywhere and do everything barefoot. Why should playing the accordion be any different?

To learn more about ‘Barefoot Becky’ visit her website.