Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

HEIDT, Horace

(b 21 May '01, Alameda CA; d 1 Dec. '86, LA) Pianist, bandleader. Played football; took up piano seriously after injury in U of C game; turned pro '23. Successful, corny show/vaudeville band Horace Heidt and His Californians (once featured Lobo, a trained dog) had long stay at NY Palace Theatre '30; from mid-'30s known as Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights (or as Brigadiers), began to become famous (and more musical) on radio and records. Heidt himself had no talent but was a shrewd manager, always finding new ways to entertain: hired blind whistler Fred Lowery (from Palatine TX; whistled on film theme hit 'The High And The Mighty', no. 9 '54); actor Art Carney was singing comedian, member of vocal group the Don Juans; Frank DeVol played tenor sax; Alvino Rey played electric guitar, unusual then; Frankie Carle, Bobby Hackett, Jess Stacy, Irving Fazola on clarinet, trombonist Warren Covington and Shorty Sherrock on trumpet (b Clarence Francis Cherock, 17 Nov. '15, Minneapolis; d 19 Feb. '80; also played with Bob Crosby, J. Dorsey, Gene Krupa, own band), Joe Rushton on bass sax (b 7 Nov. '07, Evanston IL; d 2 March '64), arr. Bill Finegan, Gordon McRae all worked for Heidt. Big fame giving away money '38--41 on radio show Pot O' Gold: callers chosen at random from national phone directories would receive $1,000 just for answering the phone until the show was forced off the air by the FCC as an illegal lottery; films called Pot O' Gold, Treasure Chest '41--2; out of music for most of '46 during dispute with MCA; '48--53 talent show Youth Opportunity broadcast from different town each week (accordionist Dick Contino was a winner who became popular in Midwest), moved to TV; he retired on investments. His son Horace Jr also led a band.