Teddy Stauffer
Encyclopedia
Ernst Heinrich "Teddy" Stauffer (May 2, 1909 – August 27, 1991) was a Swiss
bandleader
, musician
, actor
, nightclub
owner, and restaurateur
. He was dubbed Germany's "swing-king" of the 1930s.
, Switzerland
, Stauffer grew up in Murten and in Berne
, and played violin and saxophone there in an amateur band from 1927. In 1928 he began to perform in Germany with his band, Teddy and His Band. Their first engagement had the Teddies as a Caféhaus-Kapelle in Gleiwitz. After many engagements on cruise ships his popularity in Germany reached its peak in 1935-36. In 1936 Elfriede Scheibel, the owner of the Berlin "Delphi palace", awarded him a four-month engagement from July to October 1936.
This guest performance justified the reputation of the Delphi as a swing stage. Annual trips to St. Moritz
and Arosa
, and also a guest appearance in London, were responsible for international fame of the Teddies band. Until 1939, he appeared with his Original Teddies-Band especially in Berlin
and Hamburg
. With his jazzy swing music, however, Stauffer increasingly got in trouble with the Reichsmusikkammer
.
In 1939 the band travelled to the opening of the National Exhibition in Switzerland, replacing the Jimmie Lunceford
Orchestra, which withdrew because of the impending war. The band happened to be in Switzerland when war broke out; all the German members of the Teddies had to leave Switzerland. In Switzerland, Stauffer took part in the scoring of the film s'Margritli und d'Soldate (Marguerite and the soldiers) in 1940-41; the Margritli-song, interpreted by the Schmid family, became a big success. Clarinetist Ernst Höllerhagen belonged to the Original Teddies from 1939. Buddy Bertinat wrote many of the arrangements. After the Stauffer's departure in 1941 the Original Teddies, were headed by Eddie Brunner. Hazy Osterwald, who also belonged to the band, wrote arrangements since 1941. But the band could not build on old achievements.
After an engagement on an Atlantic cruise ship, Stauffer remained in the United States and tried his luck as a film composer in Hollywood. Due to problems with his residence papers, he went to Mexico, which eventually became his second home.
In Acapulco
, he founded a discothèque, "The Tequila a Go-Go", and worked as manager of several well-known hotels (including the "Hyatt" and "Villa Vera"). Small guest appearances at TV and films. In the later years he runs the restaurant "Teddy's" at the main beach in Acapulco.
The Mexicans honored the tall, blond Swiss as a popular ambassador for Acapulco. "Mr. Acapulco" helped attract Hollywood celebrities, and made the place famous, till then a fishing village of 8,000 residents. On August 27, 1991, Stauffer died in Acapulco at the age of 82.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
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....
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
owner, and restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
. He was dubbed Germany's "swing-king" of the 1930s.
Early life and career
Born in MurtenMurten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Stauffer grew up in Murten and in Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, and played violin and saxophone there in an amateur band from 1927. In 1928 he began to perform in Germany with his band, Teddy and His Band. Their first engagement had the Teddies as a Caféhaus-Kapelle in Gleiwitz. After many engagements on cruise ships his popularity in Germany reached its peak in 1935-36. In 1936 Elfriede Scheibel, the owner of the Berlin "Delphi palace", awarded him a four-month engagement from July to October 1936.
This guest performance justified the reputation of the Delphi as a swing stage. Annual trips to St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
and Arosa
Arosa
Arosa is a town and a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is both a summer and a winter tourist resort.-History:...
, and also a guest appearance in London, were responsible for international fame of the Teddies band. Until 1939, he appeared with his Original Teddies-Band especially in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. With his jazzy swing music, however, Stauffer increasingly got in trouble with the Reichsmusikkammer
Reichsmusikkammer
The Reichsmusikkammer was a Nazi institution. It promoted "good German music" which was composed by Aryans and seen as consistent with Nazi ideals, while suppressing other, "degenerate" music, which included atonal music, jazz, and music by Jewish composers...
.
In 1939 the band travelled to the opening of the National Exhibition in Switzerland, replacing the Jimmie Lunceford
Jimmie Lunceford
James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era.-Biography:...
Orchestra, which withdrew because of the impending war. The band happened to be in Switzerland when war broke out; all the German members of the Teddies had to leave Switzerland. In Switzerland, Stauffer took part in the scoring of the film s'Margritli und d'Soldate (Marguerite and the soldiers) in 1940-41; the Margritli-song, interpreted by the Schmid family, became a big success. Clarinetist Ernst Höllerhagen belonged to the Original Teddies from 1939. Buddy Bertinat wrote many of the arrangements. After the Stauffer's departure in 1941 the Original Teddies, were headed by Eddie Brunner. Hazy Osterwald, who also belonged to the band, wrote arrangements since 1941. But the band could not build on old achievements.
After an engagement on an Atlantic cruise ship, Stauffer remained in the United States and tried his luck as a film composer in Hollywood. Due to problems with his residence papers, he went to Mexico, which eventually became his second home.
In Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, he founded a discothèque, "The Tequila a Go-Go", and worked as manager of several well-known hotels (including the "Hyatt" and "Villa Vera"). Small guest appearances at TV and films. In the later years he runs the restaurant "Teddy's" at the main beach in Acapulco.
The Mexicans honored the tall, blond Swiss as a popular ambassador for Acapulco. "Mr. Acapulco" helped attract Hollywood celebrities, and made the place famous, till then a fishing village of 8,000 residents. On August 27, 1991, Stauffer died in Acapulco at the age of 82.
Personal life
Stauffer was married five times:- Faith DomergueFaith Domergue-Early life and career:Born in New Orleans, Domergue was adopted by Adabelle Wemet when she was six weeks old . Adabelle married Leo Domergue in 1926, when Faith was 18 months old. The family moved to California in 1928 where Domergue attended Beverly Hills Catholic School and St...
(28 January 1946 - 8 October 1947) (divorced) - Hedy LamarrHedy LamarrHedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".Lamarr also co-invented – with composer George Antheil – an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, necessary to wireless...
(12 June 1951 - 17 March 1952) (divorced) - Anne Nekel Brown (29 March 1955 - January 1956) (divorced)
- Ute O. Weller (26 May 1957 - December 1958) (divorced)
- Patricia Morgan (1961 - 6 December 1966) (divorced) 1 daughter, Melinda Morgan Stauffer (born April 19, 1962)
Further reading
- Stauffer, Teddy, Forever is a Hell of a Long Time: An Autobiography (1976) ISBN 0-809-28089-2