THE ORIGINAL DANCEMASTERS
The group called themselves the Dancemasters, and got a lot of practice by playing in the school gymnasium at lunchtime charging a penny per person admission. They quickly became popular around the Ohio Valley, and all followed music either as a profession or as an avocation the rest of their lives. As one would graduate, another would take his place until 1947 when graduation completely reduced the band.
Seated (front row from left to right) is Norman McKnight, Chandler Brown, Nello Antonucci, Dick Miller, Dick Zubak.
from left (back row) is trumpet player, Baird Kloss. Seated third from left (front row) is alto sax man, Nello Antonucci.
Among those that can be remembered from those days are:
DICK ZUBAK
Dick was an outstanding piano man, but switched to alto sax when
the band picked up Bill Ulrich on piano. Dick went on to travel the country with
Prez Prado, and Tony Pastor. He also played in the MGM orchestra. Dick passed
away sometime ago.
BILL ULRICH
Replaced Dick Zubak on piano. Bill lives in Barnesville and still
plays a great piano, but can't be induced out of retirement. He retired from
Wheeling Steel after a stint in the Air Force and was in Labor Relations Management.
PAUL SCHWEIZER
Stayed around Wheeling running his Dad's business until retirement
when he moved to Atlanta. He was an outstanding tenor sax man, and played with all
the leading dance bands in the area. He too has passed away.
BOB WENTZ
Bio coming...
ROBERT METZ
Bob was a great drummer, but didn't pursue music. He wrote the Market Place
Column for the New York Times, the best read feature in the paper. Wrote the
national best seller, "CBS Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye"; succumbed to the
blandishments of FNN which became CNBC; and was very active in what one might
call semi-pro theatre in New York. He is still actively writing and lives with
his wife Liz in New York.
BOB ANDERSON
Bob went to Duke University where he played in the school's band. He is
retired and lives in Louisiana. Bob is seen occasionally in Wheeling when he comes
to visit relatives.
JACK ORGAN
A Trombone player, who later took up the guitar. A fine musician who,
unfortunately passed, away some time ago. Jack lived in the area all his life and
we see his widow, Pepper, on occasion.
JACK DiCAESERE
Fine Trumpet player. Still lives in Wheeling where he went into
his father's tire business. He has passed the business along to his descendants.
He still looks great, but gave up the trumpet years ago.
JOHN SHAFFER
Another fine trumpet player. He played for a long time, but upon
moving to Denver, he gave up the trumpet. He went into the banking business, is
now retired and lives in Lady Lake, Florida.
OZZIE HUMPHREY
An Alto Sax man, Oz stayed with music all his life. Oz moved to Michigan where
he continued to play in dance bands until his passing some time back.
NELLO ANTONUCCI
Nello plated alto, tenor, clarinet, oboe, and English Horn. He holds an Electrical
Engineering degree from West Virginia University, and retired from Wheeling
Electric and AEP. Nello played oboe for over 40 years with the Wheeling Symphony
and has been a fixture in the top dance bands in the Ohio Valley since returning
from his service in the US Army where he served in Alaska. Nello is often requested
to perform in church services with his oboe, and has also played for many musical
productions over the years.
BAIRD KLOSS
He played with the Wheeling Steelmakers while still in High School.
The Steelmakers was a musical program on National Radio during the War years
sponsored by Wheeling Steel on Sunday afternoons, and was a very popular radio
show broadcast live from WWVA studios. He also played with the Wheeling Symphony
for over forty years, as well as playing with dance bands around the area. Baird
is often requested to take part in church services with his trumpet, and can
often be seen and/or heard playing taps at various cemeteries around the Ohio
Valley on Memorial Day. This is something that Baird does on his own to honor
those who served in WWII. He is a veteran of the US Army. Baird has played in
the band for many musical productions. He, along with Nello, is a part of the
revival of the Dancemasters. Baird is an Industrial Engineer and is also retired
from AEP.
FOLLOWING THE DANCEMASTERS AT TRIADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL
When the Dancemasters were in full bloom at Triadelphia High, there was an underclassman named Ophir Vellenoweth. In 1947 when the Dancemasters disappeared because graduation had finally caused their complete demise, Ophir, then a Junior, and Don Fischer, a Senior and fine trumpet player, put together a group known as the Tin Horn Ten which met with some modest success.
THE ADVENT OF BUDDY O & THE DANCEMASTERS
Ophir Vellenoweth sold his instruments when he went to the Navy during the Korean war and was out of music until 1986 when he moved to the Kanawha Valley and took a position at Union Carbide. An old high school buddy, and a fellow musician, Harry Kreglo, was in the area and got him back into music, not only playing in the local Shrine band but also playing in a big dance band in the area. Upon retirement, Ophir moved back to Wheeling, and while continuing to travel to Charleston, W. Va. to play with the big dance band he had the urge to start a big band in Wheeling. He called Baird and Nello, members of the original Dancemasters, They met at Ophir's house, and as the old saying goes, the rest is history.
Ophir's wife Pat, sister of former Dancemaster Bill Ulrich, suggested the Dancemasters name be revived. At the suggestion of a friend, the numeral "II" was added in as much as this was the second edition of the Dancemasters. For the first few years, the band was known as "Dancemasters II". However, when the band was honored by being recommended for membership in the National Ballroom and Entertainment Association, it was felt the name sounded too much like a Dance studio; so it was changed. Ophir having the same first name as his father, the family had always called him "Buddy"; hence it was easy to come up with the sobriquet "Buddy 0" to put in front of Dancemasters, and drop the numeral II.
