Rudy Wiedoeft
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Rudolph "Rudy" Cornelius Wiedoeft (January 3, 1893 - February 18, 1940) was a U.S. saxophonist.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of German immigrants, at a young age Weidoeft started playing with his family orchestra, first on violin, then on clarinet. He moved to New York City and switched to saxophone, then still an unusual instrument. He became known as a virtuoso saxophonist in the 1910s, made many recordings for different record labels, and did much to popularize the saxophone as an instrument in the U.S. His chief instrument was the C-melody sax, a variety which became uncommon after the 1930s. He also played and recorded on the E-flat alto and B-flat soprano as well.
His style was noted for very rapid runs of notes in between long lush leggato phrases in a ragtime influenced style. He was also known for his very unorthodox style of vibrato, which was very wide. While he incorporated some elements of early jazz into his playing, he remained stylistically a pre-jazz artist. Some of his original compositions were hits in their day, notably Valse Erica, Valse Llewellyn, Saxema, Saxophobia, and Sax-o-Phun.
He remained a very popular entertainer into the 1920s and performed regularly on radio, but his style started to sound more and more dated to the public as his career continued into the 1930s. He worked for a while in Rudy Vallee's band, then for a while in France. From the mid-1930's on, he essentially stopped playing and was involved in several mining investments, that unfortunately, did not prove successful.
Rudy and his wife Mary Wiedoeft had a difficult relationship partially due to difficulties in maintaining their rather flamboyant lifestyle and alcohol abuse. In 1937, he was nearly killed when he was stabbed by his wife. The couple reconciled though, and in the same year Rudy made his last radio appearance. He died in Flushing, New York in 1940 from cirrhosis of the liver.
In the 1920's, the Holton Instrument Company took features from existing production model saxophones and marketed them as the "Rudy Wiedoeft Model". However, it is doubtful Wiedoeft actually performed on such instruments.
Several of Wiedoefts siblings also became professional musicans, the most famous being West coast bandleader Herb Wiedoeft (1886-1928).
