STEVENS ORCHESTRA PROJECT

of Savanna, Illinois USA, Birthplace and Hometown of Wayne King, "The Waltz King."

Select to view dance Nov 15, 2009 at Lakeside Ballroom, Guttenberg, Iowa

JOHNNIE KAYE AND HIS ORCHESTRA One of the foremost big bands playing the Midwest in 2009.

BO LEWIS' BIG BAND DANCE PARTY & NEW SWING HOUR on WNAV Radio Annapolis, Maryland! Culturally Linked to Steve Stevens Orchestra Project

Listen to BO LEWIS over WNAV Annapolis, Maryland every Sunday 9:00 p.m. to Midnight Eastern Time. Playing the Incomparable Music of Wayne King and His Orchestra from time to time. After selecting this link, listen to WNAV by selecting "here," right of the menu bar.

In September 2008, the Savanna Historical Society, NFP received these 3 saxophone mutes and stands in their original case for the Wayne King Collection.

Wendy Baldridge of Savanna donated the instruments in memory of her father, the late Walt Baldridge. Mr. Baldridge told his daughter these instruments belonged to Wayne King. Walt Baldridge was a well-known businessman and auctioner in Savanna for nearly 60 years.

Wayne King visited his birthplace and hometown many times between 1921, when he left for Chicago, and when he played his last dance at the Savanna Community High School in 1982.

Wayne had many friends and relatives living in Savanna and the area. It was probably during one of his visits home that he left these saxophone mutes at one of his relative's homes, perhaps at his Uncle Charles and Aunt Minnie Seitzburg's home at 720 N 4th Street where he stayed during visits to Savanna in his early days of being an orchestra leader.

The impact of the popular polka performer, Wayne King, in Wisconsin in the late 1920's on a future Grand Ole Opry Hall Famer.

Hello,

I came across your website while researching Wayne King, since he was an important figure in our company's history, too.

Please have a look at our website:
www.LadyEsther.de --> Firma --> Syma Cohen
http://www.ladyesther.de/index.php?id=55

The picture shows Syma Cohen-Busiel and Wayne King in around the mid thirties at Pal-Waukee airfield, north of Chicago.

Syma Cohen-Busiel (1891-1990) was the founder of Lady Esther Cosmetics. She had registered the trade mark in her name in 1913 (trading as Lady Esther). Later she ran the business with her younger brother Alfred (1900-1951). After his early death the company was sold and went through
many hands. Trade mark owners in the US are now a pharmaceutical wholesale company with no own production facilities and no roots back to Syma Cohen and the early history of this once very famous brand.

Our German company is now the trade mark owner elsewhere in the world. We have in our archive some old merchandise material connected with Wayne King, If you are interested, I can scan them for you. On the other hand I should be very grateful, if we could learn more about the co-operation between Wayne King and Lady Esther.

Unfortunately, our history related pages on the website are in German only.

Kind regards,

Thilo Figaj
LADY ESTHER KOSMETIK GMBH
BENSHEIM
GERMANY

Be Happy and Smile: Wayne King

Courtesy of Director Thilo Figaj of Lady Esther Kosmetic, Germany GMBH

Lady Esther Ltd used to advertise to write to them to receive free samples, try them out and give a feedback. People received goodies in return, such as this print of Wayne King. The mailing is undated, but should also be from 1933 / 34.

In laters years they used cinema stars for their promotion. In 1943 Lady Esther Ltd sponsored the movie "Casablanca", the radio version, respectively. Ingrid Bergman can be heard in it speaking the promotion for Lady Esther after the radio show. Its on the bonus DVD of Warner's.

All the best with your project.
Kind regards from Germany & Happy Easter!

Thilo Figaj, Director
LADY ESTHER KOSMETIK GMBH
Robert-Bosch-Strasse 26
64625 Bensheim - Germany

In 1951 Wayne King visited his city of birth, Savanna, Illinois. His visit was to honor Doctor Schreiter who delivered America's future Waltz King at 600 Bowen Street on February 16 or 18, 1901. The visit was part of the festivities surrounding Doctor Schreiter being named the doctor of the year in the State of Illinois in 1951.

This photo was snapped by the Homedew family. It's Wayne KIng and Adana L'homideu (some of the family use the old country spelling). Adana is one more of the nieces of Wayne's childhood friend Harold Homedew as mentioned below.

In the spring of 2005, the nieces of Harold Homedew, Vernetta Homedew Near and Janis Homedew Wilt of Savanna, discovered a remarkable photo negative in their father's records. The negative, circa 1918, revealed a portrait of Wayne King with his very close family and childhood friend Harold Homedew. Harold, a really smooth dancer who won several dance contests, was featured at dances organized by Wayne King before he left Savanna for Chicago in 1921 to become nationally known as the Waltz King in 1927.