- Whoopee John Wilfahrt
John Anthony Wilfahrt, (b.
May 11 ,1893 , d.June 15 ,1961 ), the eldest son of John Wilfahrt and Barbara Portner, was a professional polka musician who recorded with Decca Records. He went by the moniker "Whoopee John." Wilfahrt was born inNew Ulm, Minnesota and got his start playing the accordion at local gatherings and concerts in and around his community. In the 1920s Whooppee John and his band relocated toSaint Paul, Minnesota where they became regulars at live shows and on the radio. Wilfahrt first began recording commercially in the 1920s and would sign with the newly-formed U.S. division ofDecca Records in 1934 as the label's second act. (The first act signed to the label beingBing Crosby .) Wilfahrt and his band enjoyed popularity through the 1940s and 50s on the polka circuit. Over the course of his professional career Wilfahrt would record nearly 1,000 songs, some of the most popular being “Mariechen Waltz” and “Clarinet Polka.”References
"Some Wilfahrt Tales" by Jeff Wilfahrt, 1998, on record with Brown County Minnesota Historical Society.
* [http://www.internationalpolka.com/wilfahrt.htm John Wilfahrt biography] -
International Polka Association External links
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http://www.internationalpolka.com/wilfahrt.htm
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