Herb Wiedoeft

Herbert Arthur Wiedoeft (22 November 1886 – 12 May 1928) was a German-American band leader in California in the 1920s.

Career Wiedoeft was born in Germany and came to the United States with his parents as a child. Wiedoeft came from a family of musicians and was encouraged by his father. His brothers Gerhardt and Adolph (nicknamed "Gay" and "Ad", respectively) played as sidemen in his band, Gerhardt on string bass and Adolph on percussion and xylophone. Another brother, Rudy Wiedoeft, was a saxophone player during the late ragtime and early jazz era. Their sister, Erica, was a pianist.

Wiedoeft started his first orchestra before 1915. The band gained a recording contract with Brunswick Records, toured in Chicago and New York, and earned a national reputation. Their first record for Brunswick was "Cinderella Blues"/"Shine",

Wiedoeft died in a car accident in Medford, Oregon, on 12 May 1928, when his car skidded off the Medford–Klamath Falls highway.

Discography A partial list of Brunswick recordings:

Bibliography for references