“Whoopee” John Wilfahrt
(1893-1961)
Inducted in 1989
The “Daddy of the Concertina”, Hans Wilfahrt grew up in the New Ulm, Minnesota area where family, friends, and the lively music there influenced his musical growth. He formed his first band very early with his brother Edwin on clarinet, and his cousin Edward Kretsch on cornet. The concertina became the backbone of the New Ulm style of old-tyme music- and continues to this day. In 1925, John moved to St Paul to add exposure via radio. A radio and TV performer in the Twin Cities for 34 years, his Sunday afternoon Schmidt Polka Party broadcasts from The American House in St Paul had many fans turning in. He achieved considerable fame within his field as an in-demand dance band musician and leader. The Whoopee John Orchestra recorded over 1,000 selections, and was the second musical artist to sign with Decca Records, right after Bing Crosby. Recordings for major labels Decca, Okeh, Vocalion, and Columbia Records were distributed- and sold in the millions- internationally. For nearly everyone, his most remembered song was his theme “The Mariechen Waltz.”
