Jules and Lois Best Herman Papers
File
Identifier: Welk Mss 6
Scope and Content
The Jules and Lois Herman Papers document their musical careers, particularly the music performed by the Jules Herman Band that performed for some thirty-five years at the Prom in St. Paul, Minnesota. It also includes the music playbooks with some music arrangements that were used by the Minnesota Vikings Football Band that Jules Herman directed. Of general interest is a scrapbook documenting their lives. The papers have been organized into three series: Music Arrangements, Minnesota Vikings Football Band Music Playbooks, and Topical.
The Music Arrangement Series includes some 500 music arrangements of the Jules Herman Band used during its tenure at the Prom Room in St. Paul, Minn. They are organized alphabetically by title. The major music arrangers Herman used were S.K. Grundy, Frank Chermak, Foster ‘Pops’ Wakefield, Russ Moss, Paul Brizendine and Bill Pierson. Jules Herman identified the arranger for most of the arrangements, except titles in W and Y. The Archives has an internal Access database which lists the arranger and arrangement number. There is one original composition by Jules Herman identified, the title being "Somebody New". The medleys in the collection are grouped together under ‘Medley’ with the individual songs listed. There are also a number of commercial stock arrangements in the collection and are so noted in the box and folder list.
Also included in this series is the Miscellaneous Music Arrangements Subseries consisting mostly of individual parts for a small number of music arrangements. Most also have numbers added, similar to the ones in the main music arrangements series. The titles have not been itemized in this finding aid.
The Minnesota Vikings Football Band Music Playbooks Series contains the individual music playbooks used by the members of the band. Each red, hard-cover folder contains a variety of music arrangements, no doubt the ones used the final season when playing at the Minnesota Vikings games. Many of the music parts have numbers written on them, no doubt part of the Music Arrangements series. There are playbooks for: Jules Herman as conductor, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Organ/Piano 1st 2nd 3rd and Trombone, 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Trumpet, 1st and 2nd Alto Saxophone, 1st Baritone Saxophone, and 1st and 2nd Tenor Saxophone.
The Topical Series includes a scrapbook documenting Jules Herman’s career and compiled by the family. It includes a variety of newspaper clippings, certificates of appreciation as well as seventeen photographs. It also includes some information about the life and career of his wife Lois Best and also their daughter.
The poster advertising ‘Jules Herman and His Orchestra’ also includes image of Jules and wife Lois. Remaining text includes: ‘Appearing regularly at the PROM, St. Paul, Minn.’ ‘Midwest Winner Band of the Year Contest.’ ‘Four Years with Lawrence Welk.’ ‘Featuring Lois Best, the former Champagne Lady.’
The Music Arrangement Series includes some 500 music arrangements of the Jules Herman Band used during its tenure at the Prom Room in St. Paul, Minn. They are organized alphabetically by title. The major music arrangers Herman used were S.K. Grundy, Frank Chermak, Foster ‘Pops’ Wakefield, Russ Moss, Paul Brizendine and Bill Pierson. Jules Herman identified the arranger for most of the arrangements, except titles in W and Y. The Archives has an internal Access database which lists the arranger and arrangement number. There is one original composition by Jules Herman identified, the title being "Somebody New". The medleys in the collection are grouped together under ‘Medley’ with the individual songs listed. There are also a number of commercial stock arrangements in the collection and are so noted in the box and folder list.
Also included in this series is the Miscellaneous Music Arrangements Subseries consisting mostly of individual parts for a small number of music arrangements. Most also have numbers added, similar to the ones in the main music arrangements series. The titles have not been itemized in this finding aid.
The Minnesota Vikings Football Band Music Playbooks Series contains the individual music playbooks used by the members of the band. Each red, hard-cover folder contains a variety of music arrangements, no doubt the ones used the final season when playing at the Minnesota Vikings games. Many of the music parts have numbers written on them, no doubt part of the Music Arrangements series. There are playbooks for: Jules Herman as conductor, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Organ/Piano 1st 2nd 3rd and Trombone, 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Trumpet, 1st and 2nd Alto Saxophone, 1st Baritone Saxophone, and 1st and 2nd Tenor Saxophone.
The Topical Series includes a scrapbook documenting Jules Herman’s career and compiled by the family. It includes a variety of newspaper clippings, certificates of appreciation as well as seventeen photographs. It also includes some information about the life and career of his wife Lois Best and also their daughter.
The poster advertising ‘Jules Herman and His Orchestra’ also includes image of Jules and wife Lois. Remaining text includes: ‘Appearing regularly at the PROM, St. Paul, Minn.’ ‘Midwest Winner Band of the Year Contest.’ ‘Four Years with Lawrence Welk.’ ‘Featuring Lois Best, the former Champagne Lady.’
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1950s-1990s
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection are not held by the NDSU Archives.
Biography
Jules Herman was born March 6, 1912 at rural DeLamere, N.D., the son of Walter and Julia (Johnson) Herman where he grew up on a farm and started playing trumpet at an early age. He attended Moorhead State Teachers College (now Minnesota State University Moorhead) where he graduated in 1935. He then taught music at the Gardner, N.D. school for eight months but quit when Lawrence Welk unexpectedly asked him to join his orchestra which at that time was playing regularly on WNAX radio station in
Yankton, S.D. Jules had auditioned for Welk’s band earlier in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Alice Best, a native of Pittsburg, Penn. began singing on KDKA radio station in Pittsburg shortly after graduating from high school. There she was one of the staff singers on a program called The Strollers. While the Welk orchestra was performing at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburg, Penn. in 1938 the names Champagne Music and Champagne Lady were created. It was also decided to add a female vocalist to his orchestra. Welk had heard about Lois Best. One evening he asked Jules to join him to see her perform in person when performing with the Benny Burton orchestra. Welk hired Lois as his first female singer, becoming his first Champagne Lady. Before the year was out Lois and Jules Herman were married. When the Welk orchestra moved to California in 1940 Jules and Lois Herman left the Welk organization to stay in Chicago and raise their family. When World War II began Herman attempted to join the military as an officer but was not accepted. He spent the war years working at a Chicago area defense plant by day and at night played trumpet for the Griff Williams Society Band at the Empire Room of the Palmer House. He later joined Wayne King, the waltz king, before forming his own band in the late 1940s. In 1952 Jules Herman accepted an invitation to head the house orchestra at the Prom Room in St. Paul, Minn. For the next thirty-five years Jules Herman orchestra played at the Prom. The eleven-piece group also included Lois on the organ. The band also played in 1970 and 1971 for six weeks each at the Roseland Dance City in New York City. Herman also led the Minnesota Vikings football band for eight years, ending in 1982. Herman’s band’s last engagement was in 1996 at the University of Minnesota.
Jules and Lois raised son Joel and three daughters, Bonnie, Gloria and Debra. They spent their retirement years in St. Paul, Minn. Jules was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Jules died July 22, 2005 at Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Lois died on October 28, 2015 of heart failure. She was 98.
Alice Best, a native of Pittsburg, Penn. began singing on KDKA radio station in Pittsburg shortly after graduating from high school. There she was one of the staff singers on a program called The Strollers. While the Welk orchestra was performing at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburg, Penn. in 1938 the names Champagne Music and Champagne Lady were created. It was also decided to add a female vocalist to his orchestra. Welk had heard about Lois Best. One evening he asked Jules to join him to see her perform in person when performing with the Benny Burton orchestra. Welk hired Lois as his first female singer, becoming his first Champagne Lady. Before the year was out Lois and Jules Herman were married. When the Welk orchestra moved to California in 1940 Jules and Lois Herman left the Welk organization to stay in Chicago and raise their family. When World War II began Herman attempted to join the military as an officer but was not accepted. He spent the war years working at a Chicago area defense plant by day and at night played trumpet for the Griff Williams Society Band at the Empire Room of the Palmer House. He later joined Wayne King, the waltz king, before forming his own band in the late 1940s. In 1952 Jules Herman accepted an invitation to head the house orchestra at the Prom Room in St. Paul, Minn. For the next thirty-five years Jules Herman orchestra played at the Prom. The eleven-piece group also included Lois on the organ. The band also played in 1970 and 1971 for six weeks each at the Roseland Dance City in New York City. Herman also led the Minnesota Vikings football band for eight years, ending in 1982. Herman’s band’s last engagement was in 1996 at the University of Minnesota.
Jules and Lois raised son Joel and three daughters, Bonnie, Gloria and Debra. They spent their retirement years in St. Paul, Minn. Jules was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2002. Jules died July 22, 2005 at Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Lois died on October 28, 2015 of heart failure. She was 98.
Extent
12.4 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Jules and Lois Herman Papers document their musical careers, particularly the music performed by the Jules Herman Band that performed for some thirty-five years at the Prom in St. Paul, Minnesota. It also includes the music playbooks with some music arrangements that were used by the Minnesota Vikings Football Band that Jules Herman directed. Of general interest is a scrapbook documenting their lives. The papers have been organized into three series: Music Arrangements, Minnesota Vikings Football Band Music Playbooks, and Topical.
Provenance
Donated by Jules and Lois Herman, 1994-1996 (Acc. 94-38, 95-13, & 96-9).
Separation Record
Photographs (Welk Photo 4)
39 photographs have been processed as Welk Photo 4
Broadside (Mss 1596.21) Poster advertising ‘Jules Herman and his Orchestra
Broadside (Mss 1596.21) Poster advertising ‘Jules Herman and his Orchestra
Legal Status
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection
- Title
- Finding aid to the Jules and Lois Herman Papers
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu