The Suburbs, 1984. Chan on right
Chandler “Chan”  Poling, born 1957 in Evanston, Illinois, is a Twin Cities-based singer, pianist, and composer best known as the leader of the Minneapolis punk/New Wave band The Suburbs. He has also composed for musical theater and collaborated with various artists, while his work includes notable projects like the musical Glensheen and the band The New Standards.
Early Life and Education
Chan moved to Minnesota in 1961. Poling studied composition at the MacPhail Center for Music and later at the California Institute of the Arts under composer Harold Budd.

Music Career

Poling is best known as the leader of the Minneapolis punk/New Wave band The Suburbs, which he co-founded in 1977. The band gained recognition for their contributions to the “Minneapolis Sound” and released several albums through major labels. In 2005, he formed The New Standards, a jazz trio that interprets a variety of songs.

Musical Theater and Composition

In addition to his work in rock music, Poling has composed for musical theater, including award-winning pieces for Theatre de la Jeune Lune. His notable works include the musical Glensheen and the score for the documentary Iron Range: A People’s History, which won an Emmy Award.

Personal Life

Poling was married to Eleanor Mondale, daughter of former United States Vice President Walter Mondale, until her passing in 2011. He has three children and currently resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his partner Patty Radford-Henderson.

Chan Poling’s website

The Chatfield Brass Band is an active community band with brass, woodwind and percussion musicians from SE Minnesota. They sponsor the “Music in the Park” summer concert series on Thursday evenings in June and July. The concerts feature the Brass Band and guest musicians, food, refreshments and drawings. The band also performs in area parades and concerts during the year. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from September to May.

The Chatfield Music Lending Library
The Chatfield Music Lending Library is the only library of its kind in the world today. Created by Jim Perkins in 1973, the library is dedicated to the preservation of our musical heritage. The library has collected over 50,000 pieces of instrumental music – many of which are no longer in print – and they continue to catalog more of the collection. The library is a member of the Southeast Minnesota Library System and lends music to bands and musicians around the world.

(courtesy City of Chatfield’s website)

Chatfield Brass Band website

Chatfield Music Lending Library and Archive website

Inducted 2025

Original promotional 8×10 photo from 1965. Courtesy Soma Records.

  “Liar, Liar- pants on fire. Your nose is longer than a telephone wire. You ask me baby, why I’m sad.  Been out all night, I know you’ve been bad. Don’t tell me different, I know that you lied. Come to me honey, and see how I’ve cried…”

And the rest is history!

  In 1963, the original founding members of The Castaways were Dennis Craswell on drums, James Donna on keyboards, Bob LaRoy Folschow on lead guitar, Roy Hensley on rhythm guitar, and Dick Roby on bass guitar. The band’s first performance was at Jerry’s Pizza in Richfield, Minnesota. As the band became well known, they began to perform at teen dances, drawing ever bigger crowds. In 1964, The Castaways opened for Jan and Dean at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis, and for The Everly Brothers at the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul.

   On April 3, 1965, The Castaways recorded “LIAR, LIAR” at Kay Bank Recording Studios in Minneapolis. The song was written by James Donna and Dennis Craswell. Released on the Soma Records label, “LIAR, LIAR” hit the charts a few months later, reaching #1 regionally and #12 nationally on The Billboard Hot 100. The song remained on the Billboard chart for 33 weeks.

  By the fall of 1965, The Castaways had sold nearly one million copies of their infectious smash single “LIAR, LIAR” and were literally on fire– one of the hottest rock and roll bands in America. The band went on a West Coast tour, appearing on television shows Hollywood A-Go-Go, Shivaree, Where the Action Is, and various other Dick Clark productions. The group filmed a cameo appearance in Hollywood movie It’s a Bikini World. In California, The Castaways shared the big stage with The Beach Boys, Sony and Cher, The Byrds, Glenn Campbell, Little Anthony and The Imperials, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beau Brummels, The Turtles, The Gentrys, and many other legendary groups. The band did two more West Coast tours during 1965 / 1966.

  The song “LIAR, LIAR” has been used in the soundtrack for four major Hollywood motion pictures: It’s a Bikini World, Good Morning Vietnam, Lock Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels, and Married to the Mob.

  In the fall of 1966, the Vietnam War broke up the “Glory Days” of The Castaways when Bob Folschow was drafted into The United States Army, and James Donna left the band to resume his college education.

The 1967 Castaways Mk. 2 with producer Bill Traut in Chicago. Photo by Mike Barich. 

  Dennis Craswell and Roy Hensley reorganized the band with three new members: Dennis Libby and Tom Husting from the Robbinsdale, Minnesota rock and roll band Dudley and The Doo-Rytes, along with Greg Maland from Minnesota’s organ-driven early rock legends Gregory Dee and The Avanties. The band continued to tour and record for years, eventually morphing into The Blackwood Apology in 1968. The album the group recorded with legendary Chicago producer Bill Traut is titled The House of Leather, widely-regarded as the very first Rock Opera. The album was turned into a play performed Off Broadway in New York City, and was reissued in the mid-2020s on colored vinyl. After disbanding, Dennis Craswell went on to play drums for Minnesota Music Hall of Fame 2024 inductees Crow. In the mid-1970s, Craswell pioneered the use of electronic drum applications, foreshadowing drum machines and MIDI computer recording technology.

 The Original Castaways, who currently perform Winters in South Texas and Summers in Northern Minnesota. Photo courtesy Dennis Craswell. 

   Currently, The Castaways drummer Dennis Craswell along with Logan Stewart perform as The Original Castaways. The duo can boast of eight nominations for the Valley Star Award, and have received The RGV Trophy for Best Novel Band in South Texas. The Original Castaways are the number one draw at Margaritaville Beach Resort on South Padre Island in Texas, featuring not one but two Trinidad steel drums, adding to their Early Rock and Roll and Island Music. Logan Stewart plays drums, trap set, lead steel drum, and vocals. The mix of oldies and Island Music- and of course “LIAR, LIAR”- has made the duo a current popular attraction, and their Summer work all across the Midwest makes them truly the national version of The Original Castaways- small but powerful- keeping in the tradition of The Castaways have set since 1965.

The Castaways, who perform at car-related events in the Twin Cities area, and have for over 50 years! Photo courtesy James Donna.

  In 1973, James Donna restarted The Castaways. He is bandleader and keyboardist, with Bob Donna on guitar and vocals, Rick Snider on drums and vocals, and Dave Maetzold on bass and vocals. In 1982, Dave Maetzold retired, and Ralph Hintz took his place on bass and vocals. James Donna’s Castaways are one of Minnesota’s longest performing rock ‘n’ roll bands. After 50 years, they continue to rock on stage today! The band has been featured at thousands of major festivals, car shows, street dances, class reunions, wedding dances, ballrooms (including George’s Ballroom in New Ulm), and other events across the Midwest. The band plays “LIAR, LIAR” at every performance- keeping alive the tradition of The Castaways from the early days.  As former band member Dave Maetzold has said, “Our fans today are Swifties from the 60’s!” James and The Castaways would also like to recognize their long-time sound engineer, Don Stowell. Now a published writer of Minnesota Rock and Roll history, James Donna is the author of LIAR, LIAR: from Garage Band to Rockstars: The Story of Minnesota’s Castaways in the 1960’s. The book does a great job telling the amazing story of The Castaways– from 1963 until today.

The Castaways’ website

Inducted 2025

  If The Herb Pilhofer Story ever becomes a movie, this will be the key scene: In the Spring of 1945 after Germany’s surrender, the citizens of war-ravaged Nuremberg/Fuerth waited for the arrival of the Allied Troops. Among them were 14-year-old Herb Pilhofer, a classically trained pianist, and his mother. After a deafening silence, a Jeep came around the corner blaring the song “Goody Goody” …and so began Herb’s 80-year love affair with music, but particularly Jazz.

  From humble beginnings playing a tabletop keyboard called a tafelclavier, Herb soon taught himself jazz composition, arranging, improvisation, and he devoured jazz recordings while studying at the Nuremberg Music Conservatory. He formed his own combo and armed with abundant natural talent and motivation, he was soon featured nightly in an enlisted men’s service club in Nuremberg, as well as on a Sunday morning radio program, Herb’s Harmony Highlights, on The Armed Forces Radio Network in Europe.

  Herb dreamed of immigrating to America, loving jazz and the freedom America offered. In 1954, sponsored by a bass-playing Army Captain, he settled in the Twin Cities. One of his first gigs was a comedy of errors, right here in New Ulm. Booked to play piano for a week at Esser’s Bar as “Herb Pilhoser…direct from Germany”, guests wanted polkas and waltzes- and maybe a guy in lederhosen. He was told by the owner, “Kid, you don’t cut the mustard… you’re fired!” The next day he went to local radio station KNUJ and listened to German drinking songs, which he’d never heard in Germany. He transcribed and played them, mixed with some jazz standards, and made it through the week.

  Herb also enrolled in the Music Department at The University of Minnesota. Though thoroughly at home in an academic world which included such “serious” composers as Paul Fetler and Dominick Argento, Herb left evening studies and teaching assignments behind to further his jazz education.  In the 50’s and 60’s a jazz musician could make a living playing six nights a week at places like The White House, The Lipstick Lounge, Freddie’s and Herb’s Bar. For more than a decade, Herb headed one of the best jazz groups – trio, quartet, quintet, or octet-  depending on the venue – in the Upper Midwest.

  At the same time, he took his groups into the recording studio and released three well-received albums. His 1957 debut album, Jazz from the North Coast featured some of the best musicians the Twin Cities jazz scene had to offer. Pilhofer and his modern jazz group took over a significant part of the schedule at Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center Summer Jazz Series.

  His 1959 release Trio was dubbed “best of the lot” by Metronome Magazine. Leonard Feather singled out Herb as “thee best new piano talent of the year” in Downbeat Magazine. In 1960 the Herb Pilhofer Trio released the nationally-distributed album Jazz, released on Chicago’s Argo Records label.

   For Herb, it was a time of decision. The road to national recognition didn’t particularly interest him, so he stayed in the Twin Cities to raise his family, open to new opportunities. Advertisers and agencies began to seek him out to create music for radio and television. Big accounts like Pillsbury, Wrigley’s, 3M Company, Dairy Queen, Honeywell, Pan Am, Northwest Airlines and Dayton Hudson came his way.  Never pigeon-holed, at the same time, he wrote a three-part suite for his jazz quartet and The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

  A man who has always thrived on taking risks and acting on gut instinct, Herb was immediately drawn to a new and very different project. The much-heralded Tyrone Guthrie Theater was about to open in Minneapolis and he was recruited as its first Music Director, despite having never seen a Shakespearean play. He subsequently helped design the Guthrie’s sound system, wrote the fanfare that was the Theater’s signature for over 50 years, and composed music for more than 15 productions over eight seasons.  From jazz to jingles to the mainstage, Herb displayed the same versatility and creativity that has distinguished his entire career.

  Years of experience in a recording studio stimulated his interest in putting together a state-of-the-art recording environment. Sound 80 Studios was founded in 1969 and moved to its new home, with five acoustically isolated studios stocked with the most advanced technology, in 1971. Mike Steele reported for the Minneapolis Tribune, “It’s a technological dream, a rocker’s paradise…a monument to recorded sound and an investment in the future of the recording industry”. Their full-page advertisement in Billboard Magazine on November 6, 1971 stated “Minneapolis is 1.2 miles from one of the country’s seven great recording studios”.

  In 1976 he released Olympus One, which Herb wrote, arranged, and produced at Sound 80. The title track was commissioned by the United States Olympic Committee to promote the Montreal Summer Olympic Games. Described by Michael Anthony, of the Minneapolis Tribune as “stunning in arrangement and performance and a joy to listen to”.

  Sound 80 recorded with more tracks and technology than any other studio, and the list of firsts and high-profile artists it boasted is astounding.  He owned the first Moog Synthesizer and Synclavier in the Midwest, which put him on the map as a worldwide musical technological wizard.

  Herb began working in collaboration with 3M in 1975, who had just invented multi-track digital recording. In the spring of 1978, 3M brought a prototype digital tape machine into Sound 80 (nicknamed “Herbie”). Through this collaboration, Sound 80 became the World’s First Digital Recording Studio, as heralded by Guinness. In the 15 years that the studio was in operation, artists such as Bob Dylan (Blood on the Tracks), Prince, Cat Stevens, Leo Kottke, John Denver, and Lipps Inc.’s Funkytown, recorded in the studio. Sound 80 recorded The Saint Paul Chamber’s Orchestra’s Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, which became the first piece of digital classical music to win a Grammy Award in 1980.

  For Herb’s 1979 album, Spaces, he fronted 40-plus musicians to create what a reviewer called “a three-dimensional sound painting – a jazz landscape.” Consisting of six original and one co-written songs, it was also recorded on the new 32-track 3M Digital Mastering System.

  But Pilhofer the musician was at odds with Pilhofer the business executive. It was an identity crisis resolved only with the dissolution of Sound 80 and creation of a scaled-down operation in his Minneapolis home studio. With engineer/sound designer son, Eric, his new venture, Pilhofer Music, allowed him to experiment and write as challenging projects came his way, and maintain a better work and life balance. In addition to many advertising scores for agencies around the country and clients such as Mercedes, Audi, American Express, Discover Card, US West, Budweiser and General Mills, there were countless feature, documentary, and commercial film scores, including Oscar nominated Always a New Beginning.

  In 2001 at 70, after a 40-year detour, Herb was back on the jazz track with live performances by The Pilhofer Jazz Quartet at The Dakota Bar and Grill and the release of his new CD Full Circle. Gone were the synthesizers and lucrative commercial gigs. It was also a special opportunity to team up with his son Michael, a highly-regarded live and session jazz drummer. Full Circle was Herb doing what he was doing strictly for the sake of doing it… for his sake, and the music’s sake. With an immense sense of freedom he said, “Here’s what I love to do, folks. If you care to listen, I’ll do my damnedest.”

  Herb used this “retirement” to pursue his passions more intentionally. Rarely without a camera bag, he was drawn to photography early in life. Nature, landscapes, architecture and family were his focus, and he replied to the protests of his children, “Someday you’ll thank me for this…”, and he was- as usual- 100% right.  Frequent trips to Germany to see family and to share German culture with his American family was important to his soul. Adventuring to Africa, sailing in Lake Superior, and relaxing at the idyllic family retreat in Wisconsin inspired him.

  With an extraordinary life worthy of a biopic, and five back-up drives of photography, Pilhofer decided to put together a memoir for his family. For his 80th birthday, he delivered Das Buch, a lavishly illustrated, lovingly assembled scrapbook of his life that shows everything from his father (who died before Herb was born), to a centerfold family tree, and thousands of curated photos.

  After turning 88, Pilhofer came full circle again, returning to his roots as a jazz pianist. With one bad ear and one bad eye, he had to soak his arthritic hands in wax each morning to play the piano. But Herb was feeling great about performing in public for the first time in 18 years, at Crooners Supper Club in Fridley, Minnesota. In two sold out shows, surrounded by family and friends, he felt the support of the Minnesota musical community, recognizing faces spanning decades. “At this point of my life, I look at playing for me as a way of staying alive”, he said while sitting at the Bösendorfer grand piano in his home. “I don’t need my picture in Time Magazine. Never have. If I can play and somebody likes it, that’s wonderful.”

  All professional accomplishments aside, without a doubt Herb feels the great achievement of his life is his family.  Holidays are filled with great conversation, laughter, delicious food, and always German bretzen. His six children, 10 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and 45 year relationship with his amazing wife, RoseMary, bring him his greatest joy and reflect his life well-lived. His most recent project is the compositions for his daughter’s wedding in May, some of which was done in the hot tub! For most of his 94 years, Herb Pilhofer’s innovative spirit, keen mind, and prolific & visionary musical career have made him a highly-respected pioneer in Minnesota’s music industry. He is humbled and honored to be a part of it.

Inducted 2025

  Marv Nissel started his interest in music in 1947 at the age of nine when his grandfather (William Nissel) and his father (Harold Nissel) were playing with The Christy Hengel Band of Wanda, Minnesota.  Marv began taking concertina lessons from Wenzel Fischer at the age of 13, and played his first dance job in 1953 at the age of 15.  He continued to play until 1961 when he entered the service.

  After his honorable discharge from the army in 1963, Marv bought his first Hengel concertina and moved to New Ulm, Minnesota where he played with various bands such as The Slim Kalz Dance Band, Norm Wilke & The Little Fishermen, Fezz Fritsche & The Goosetown Band, Lester Schuft & The Country Dutchmen, and The Cliff Hermel Polka Party Band. One of Marv’s most impressive honors was his performance for Vice President Hubert Humphrey at his campaign dance in 1968.

  In 1976, Marv began teaching concertina to ten students, which quickly grew to a cadre of over 60. Marv has composed two original songs for the concertina, “The St. George Polka,” and “Nissel’s Hoolerie,” and has also written over 500 arrangements for the concertina. In 1978, Marv and his wife, Carol, formed The Marv Nissel Band, and started traveling throughout the Midwest.  In 1986, Cliff Hermel, owner and operator of the Gibbon Ballroom, joined Marv’s band on drums, as did Marv and Carol’s two daughters, Lori and Jodi.  In 1987, the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association (MBOA) awarded the band as the No. 1 Variety Band for the State of Minnesota. Between 1981 and 2002, the band won MBOA awards over 11 years for their outstanding contribution to the ballroom music industry.  In 1993, Mike Moldan joined the band.  During the mid-1990’s, the Nissels appeared at over 170 jobs annually and traveled nationally.

   Since 1995, Marv and Carol have had their own weekly radio show on AM-860 KNUJ Radio in New Ulm. In 2005, Marv was inducted into the World Concertina Congress; and in 2024, The Marv Nissel Band released their 28th album entitled Homecoming, which featured Marv on concertina, Carol on keyboard bass and piano, daughter Lori on trumpet, fiddle, and concertina, and both Jim Bartusek and Marv and Carol’s grandson, Chris Ebel, on drums. Marv Nissel is a well-deserved inductee to The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame with over 70 years of both performing and promoting polka music!  He has performed in 21 states, traveled over a million miles, and taught concertina music hundreds of students. His precise style of playing is easily recognized in the polka industry.  At almost every dance job, Marv is requested to play the “Ellen Polka”, a concertina solo usually played in the key of D.  Even though it is much more difficult to play the song in the key of E, Marv chooses to do so, because he thinks that it sounds prettier, and the dancers obviously agree because he is often told, “Nobody plays the Ellen Polka like you do, Marv”.

Inducted 2025

  Mark Kreitzer began playing music in kindergarten, taking piano lessons, though it could be said that having two musicians for parents, music was always part of his life. His two older brothers played folk music, which gave him opportunities to “borrow” their guitars when they were out of the house to teach himself Beatles songs. At O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he performed with the liturgical music group. It was there that he met fellow students who played blues, Appalachian old-time, bluegrass & acoustic rock, and equally important, wrote their own songs. Mark played fiddle on Country-Rock legends The Red Willow Band’s self-titled album in 1976.

  After moving to Madison, Wisconsin, Mark added jazz to his interests, playing with other musicians who had come through the acoustic bluegrass world and discovered guitarist Django Reinhart and mandolinist Jacob do Bandolim. Kreitzer was also a Board Member and President of the Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association.

  Mark eventually made it to Minneapolis, where he joined The Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA), again serving on the board and as President. A few years later, MBOTMA presented Mark, who is proficient on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, dobro, and almost anything else with strings, with its first Favorite Bluegrass Multi-Instrumentalist Award. The organization also presented him with its first Favorite Bluegrass Songwriter Award. As a member of The Middle Spunk Creek Boys, he was inducted into The Minnesota Rock and Country Hall of Fame.

  Mark was honored to write the music and lyrics for The Minnesota Centennial Showboat musical Mark Twain’s Mississippi, based on Twain’s book Life on the Mississippi. Laurie Lewis captures Mark’s writing with a simple statement: “This fellow has something to say.” In addition to The Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Mark has performed with several other bands including Clearwater Hot Club, Mill City Hot Club, The Southside Aces, Cafe Accordion Orchestra, The High 48s, with Becky Schlegel and many more. Mark also leads his own band, aptly named The Mark Kreitzer Band, and plays solo gigs.

  Mark is a music educator as well, having taught Guitar and Songwriting at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, and Guitar and American Folk Instruments at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He is also a member of the O’Gorman High School Hall of Fame for Achievements in the Arts.

Mark’s website

Inducted 2025

  Like a lot of musicians, Myron started out playing music in grade school. At New Ulm Cathedral High School, he was the Student Band Director. Trumpet was his instrument, but he also learned clarinet and tenor saxophone at that time. While still in high school, Myron started playing with his father’s family band, Boots and His Buddies, and eventually branched out to play with other area polka bands. He then added alto saxophone, flugelhorn, and arranging to his lineup of talents.

  Out of high school, Myron attended Willmar Vocational School and worked with Ziegler Inc. for 47 years, all while averaging nearly 60 music jobs annually over a 50+ year period.

  Myron met the “other” Myron- a clarinet and tenor man- Myron Wolf (inducted into The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2017). These two “Myrons” became long time friends while performing in several bands together, where they specialized in two things: #1- playing “Hoolerie”, and #2- lightheartedly teasing the band’s leaders! Myron & Myron performed together in Erwin Suess & The Hoolerie Dutchmen, Cactus & The Jolly Brewers, Harvey Becker and The Riverside Dutchmen, The Ivan Kahle Band, The Wayne Ripke Band, The Jolly Huntsman, Gordy Prochaska & The Little Fishermen, Kris Keltgen & The Riverbend Dutchmen, and Lester Schuft & The Country Dutchmen. The two even had a song named after them titled “When Myrons Play The Hoolerie”, which was featured as the lead track on one of Cactus & The Jolly Brewers’ recordings. The song was arranged by Arnie Chechalski to the tune of the song “When Otto Plays a Polka”, with the words changed to describe them playing Hoolerie.

  Currently, Myron regularly plays with Kris Keltgen & The Riverside Dutchmen, Adam and The Jolly Jammers, Chuck Thiel & The Jolly Ramblers, and during the Oktoberfest season he performs with The Jolly Huntsmen. Myron still works with many other groups, and helps out-of-state bands when they’re in the area, such as Becky & The Ivanhoe Dutchmen and The Wayne Ripke Band from Iowa, or with Ray Dorschner & The Rainbow Valley Dutchmen from Wisconsin.

  A true music historian, Myron has kept a log of his playing history from his beginnings as a musician; first in a book, and later converted to computer on a spreadsheet. He can sort by dates, bands, locations, etc., detailing exact numbers and facts about his performances. A total of 62 different bands show up on the list over the span of 52 years! When asked why he performed with so many bands, he just says jokingly, “It just shows that I can’t seem to hold a job very long!” By the end of 2024, Myron Muehlbauer has played 3,034 band jobs. He performed with some bands only a few times, many bands upward to 100 times, five bands over 200 times, one band over 300 times, and one band Myron has performed with over 400 times. (Care to guess which band that was?) Myron played the KEYC-TV Bandwagon show in Mankato 108 times and at The Minnesota State Fairgrounds 49 times. In what city has Myron performed the most, you might ask? Glencoe, Minnesota- 193 times! There are only five days in the year that he has never played- December 14th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, and January 11th. Somebody may want clarification on that and ask, “But- what about Leap Years????” Well, it’s only happened once, but Myron has that day covered- he played February 29th, 2004 with Ray Sands & The Polka Dots in Cannon Falls, Minnesota!

  Myron has recorded 35 times with 14 different bands, on vinyl LP records, cassettes, CD’s, and recently via flashdrive.

  In July of 2024 Myron was presented with a certificate award from the International Polka Association for his 52 years of service in music.

  Myron would like to thank the crowds, bands, and fellow musicians for their support and friendship on what has been a wonderful  part of his life- playing music- and he’s not done yet!

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.”