Whoopie John Wilfahrt

[roughrider]

I came across this gentlemen's music on youtube and really enjoyed listening to the"orchestra" as it was called. The tuba playing was terrific. Does anyone have any information about who the tuba player was? I realize Whoopie John had a long career and there may have been more than one player. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[roweenie]

Many years ago, I used to work with an old-timer (now long gone) who would jokingly say, "Whoopee John Wilfahrt(,) and his Band will play...."

Ah, memories....

[roughrider]

Thanks bloke. Two icons of Canadian comedy, John Candy and Eugene Levy. The band that played behind them was from Buffalo, New York and was Leutonian!

[The Big Ben]

I came across this gentlemen's music on youtube and really enjoyed listening to the"orchestra" as it was called. The tuba playing was terrific. Does anyone have any information about who the tuba player was? I realize Whoopie John had a long career and there may have been more than one player. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

One of my friends had Norwegian parents from Wisconsin and had at least 20 78 RPM Whoopie John Wilfhardt records. "Yeesus-yimminee those were some good records, I tell you now. Gets the ol' lady worked up and she fills me up with pickled herring and akvavit and we go home and she takes advantage of me. Love that Whoopie John!"

[bisontuba]

Thanks bloke. Two icons of Canadian comedy, John Candy and Eugene Levy. The band that played behind them was from Buffalo, New York and was Leutonian!

The Smengies rule

[Paul Scott]

Wow, haven't heard that name in a while! I have a full set of "Whoopie John" band books (folios as they used to be called). Interesting in that they included trombone parts in treble Bb, mainly for the tenor horn players, I suspect. I remember one old timer calling the tenor horn a "Blatt weasel" (spelling may vary).

[PaulMaybery]

One of his tuba players from time to time was Harold Loffelmacher (sp?) Harold also had an 11 piece band called the Six Fat Dutchmen also from New Ulm, Minnesota. Intersting tid bit. During WW2, Germans in America were being observed by the government for possible collaboration with the homeland. For the longest time, the drummer with the Whoopie John Band was thought to be sending coded messages in his drumming. The comedy names of these groups, like Whoopie John, Jolly Dutchmen and Fat Dutchmen served to soften the image of the Nazi movement and give a more comfortable and cozy "gemutlichkeit' image of these musical imigrants in their new home.

[The Big Ben]

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The reason that my last name is "Sellmansberger" - and not the Americanized "Sellman" of all of my distant cousins (all of which I've completely lost track) is because ONE of the grandsons of my great-great grandfather immigrant, that grandson of the immigrant being Elmer Sellman - my grandfather, decided to RE-Germanicize the name from "Sellman" to "Sellmansberger" during The Great War (WWI). He was approximately 20 years old, and this was an "in-your-face" gesture against anti-Germanic-ancestry sentiment (LOL...His ancestry wasn't exactly a small minority.) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... today.html

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A Sellmansberger with an "in-your-face" attitude. Who would have thunk....

Interesting side bar. In my community, I know of two instances of a change to an Americanized form and then back to the European form. One was "Putas" back to "Putansuu" (Finland) and "Cotton" back to "Katsikapes" (Greece). Some family members of both changed and others did not. Ya don't know who the players are without a program.

[roughrider]

Thank you to all who posted! I did not realize that Harold Loeffelmacher had played tuba for Whoopie John. I have now played for two years in a German band and have found it very satisfying and excellent for sharpening my skills. The tuba drives the bus in these types of bands!