Pianist Lyle Ham's Diary 1935-1947

From 1935 to 1947 Lyle Ham of Savanna, Illinois played professionally for plays, dance recitals, clubs, and dance bands. Lyle, now living in Texas, has shared the diary he kept from age 14 to 26 with the Steve Stevens Orchestra Project. His entries are not all inclusive but are representative of the rehearsals and engagements he and Marv Schreiner played throughout these years.

Some Savanna musicians, vocalists and teachers named in Lyle's diary are:

Piano Teacher Miss Amy Boothby; Saxophonist Orville Cook; Band Leader Alan Campbell, Vocalists Mr. & Mrs. Corzines; Bass Fiddler Frank Espisito; Grandma Flowers (grandma of Marv and Norma Schreiner); Peggy Fuller; Piano Teacher Mary Grande; All-State Chorus Robert Gravatt; Band Leader (multiple instruments) Harry Grissinger; Howard Grayless; Dancer Cleo Ham; Drummer Don Hansen; Wilfred Hazen; Dancer, Pianist Janet Irvin;

Piano Teacher Mrs. Maurice James; Pianist Seward Johnson; Band Leader, Drummer Wade Law; Whistler (Duffy) Duane Lehr; Pianist Dick McWorthy; Band Leader, Drummer Lawrence Morse; Vocalist & Ukelele, Faye St. Ores; Band Leader, Saxphonist/Clarinetist Marv Scheiner; Trumpeter Johnny Hanson; Vocalist, Compositionist Mrs. Hal Smith; Audrey Stevens; All-State Chorus Anita Stevens; Paul Stevens, Jr.; Recital Pianist Marjorie Wittenberg; Musician hopeful Spike Wolfe;
Mount Carroll musician: Eddie Marth
Sabula musician: Ben Stanek
Fulton Pianist: Jimmy Field

Some dancehalls, engagements, events and establishments mentioned in Lyles Diary are:

Orchestra practice at Mrs. Flowers (grandma of Marv and Norma Schreiner); Poffenbergers (Poffys) Tavern; Saxaphone duet at Lutheran Church; Orchestra at Chestnut Park P.T.A. meeting; Moon Hop at Savanna Township High School; Odd Fellow Hall; American Legion dance at Lydia T. Byram Club House;

Iowa State Convention of the Moose in Clinton, Iowa; Rock Island radio station WROK; VFW Club House; Davenport radio station WHBF; Junior Lutheran League; Carls (Vaccaro) Place; Savanna Moose Hall; Glengarry Country Club (near Center Hill); Elmwood; Cliftons Ice Cream Parlor; Frances Shimer College; Urbana radio station WILL; Bender's Music Store in Savanna; Modernistic Ballroom in Clinton, IA; Womens Club;

Woodchoppers Jamboree at the Odd Fellows Hall; Catholic School in Savanna; Officers Club party at the Post (Savanna Ordinance Depot); dances in Lanark, Sabula and Galena; Stransdale Dairy Store; Clinton, IA Station KROS radio; Hob Nob (next to Plum River in Chestnut Park; The Circle and Crystal Ballroom in Dubuque, The Hilltop in East Dubuque; Mays Tavern; Lakeview in Chestnut Park;

Farm Bureau Hall and Community Hall in Mount Carroll, Ballas dancehall; Wade Law's house for hamburgers and homemade barbecue; Cattlemens Dinner at Mount Carroll High School;Eddie Marth's Grocery in Mount Carroll