Skeets Herfurt,
Saxophone (1979-1982) Saxophonist
Also Played With Tommy Dorsey And Benny Goodman
Skeets Herfurt
played the saxophone on the Lawrence Welk Show from
1979 to 1982, having already achieved a notable
career playing with such musical legends as Tommy
Dorsey and Benny Goodman. Herfurt was raised in
Denver and played in bands while attending the
University of Colorado. During the 1930's, Herfurt
worked with Smith Ballew (1934), Jimmy Dorsey and
Tommy Dorsey (together 1934-35, Jimmy 1935-37, and
Tommy 1937-39), and Ray Noble. After moving to
California, he worked with another Welk Show alumni,
Alvino Rey, performing vocal refrain for Rey's hit
song "Deep in the Heart of Texas." Herfurt then
served in the Army from
1944-45. Following the end of the war, Herfurt
returned to music, as a studio musician in Hollywood
in addition to time leading his own band getting the
one in a lifetime opportunity to work with the one
and only Benny Goodman in 1946-47 and again in 1961
and 1964.
Herfurt's other studio credits include recording
sessions with Billy May, Louis Armstrong, Georgie
Auld, Jack Teagarden, and Stan Kenton. Herfurt.
Herfurt also has a couple of film score credits such
as his appearance as a saxophonist in the 1958 film
The Nightmare, where he also played clarinet on the
soundtrack. He is also featured on the soundtrack to
the 1974 film The Fortune. In the late 1960's, he
played with the Ray Conniff Orchestra, performing in
several tours and recording sessions with them. Herfurt died in 1992 at the age of 80.