Will Glahé
Encyclopedia
Will Glahé was a German
accordion
ist, composer, and bandleader
.
Glahé was born at Elberfeld
. In the 1930s, he was, along with Heinz Munsonius and Albert Vossen, one of the most successful accordionists in Germany. He led his own orchestra from 1932 and became successful particularly in popular music
.
One of his most famous songs in Germany was his 1936 recording of "Rosamunde" ("Pinkmouth"; a German female forename), a cover version of the song "Škoda lásky" ("Wasted Love") by Jaromir Vejvoda
. Under the title "Beer Barrel Polka
", the tune hit #1 on the Hit Parade
in the United States in 1939. After World War II
he was known as the "Polka King" in the U.S., and did both big band
and folk music
arrangements with his orchestra.
His "Liechtensteiner Polka" was also a hit in the U.S., hitting #16 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1957.
He died in Rheinbreitbach
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist, composer, and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
.
Glahé was born at Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
. In the 1930s, he was, along with Heinz Munsonius and Albert Vossen, one of the most successful accordionists in Germany. He led his own orchestra from 1932 and became successful particularly in popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
.
One of his most famous songs in Germany was his 1936 recording of "Rosamunde" ("Pinkmouth"; a German female forename), a cover version of the song "Škoda lásky" ("Wasted Love") by Jaromir Vejvoda
Jaromír Vejvoda
Jaromír Vejvoda was a Czech composer and the author of the "Beer Barrel Polka".-Life and work:...
. Under the title "Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel, is a song which became popular worldwide during World War II. The music was composed by the Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda in 1927. Eduard Ingriš wrote the first arrangement of the piece, after Vejvoda came upon the melody and sought Ingriš's...
", the tune hit #1 on the Hit Parade
Hit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
in the United States in 1939. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was known as the "Polka King" in the U.S., and did both big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
arrangements with his orchestra.
His "Liechtensteiner Polka" was also a hit in the U.S., hitting #16 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1957.
He died in Rheinbreitbach
Rheinbreitbach
Rheinbreitbach is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. A locality of Rheinbreitbach is Breite Heide....
.