Leroy “Silvers” Dewanz
(1921-2009)
Inducted 1997
Slivers started his professional career in 1939 with the Eddie Wilfahrt Band of New Ulm when he was a senior in high school. He received his first clarinet at age nine, and had to practice an hour each day before his father would consider buying him a horn. After joining the National Guard and serving in California and Alaska, Slivers came back and joined The Schell’s Hobo Band, and also played with a number of other old-tyme bands. He custom-arranged music for many of the old-tyme bands in the area. At one time or another he jobbed with most of the area bands. Slivers was the Secretary of the New Ulm Musician’s Union during the heyday of the town’s runaway success as home-base to countless dance bands. He was very well-liked by area musicians, so much so that New Ulm had the highest ratio of professional players in The Local Musician’s Union in the nation. LeRoy, his wife Jeanne, and Vern Schueller formed the combo We Three in 1970 at the Tropicana Supper Club of New Ulm, which disbanded after a number of years and he later developed the Friendly Four and the Hal Nelson Band of Mankato.
