Died On This Date (December 20, 2011) Merv Conn / The King Of The Strolling Accordionists
themusicsover Merv Conn (Born Mervin Cohen)
February 19, 1920 – December 20, 2011
Merv Conn was a Washington DC area accordionist and singer who entertained audiences big and small for several decades. Conn was still in his teens when he first learned to play the accordion, and in a very short time, he was playing parties and on local radio stations. During the mid ’40s, he opened an accordion school, which at its peak, employed five teachers and taught as many as 300 students a week. In 1964, he became the official live musician of the Washington Senators professional baseball team, entertaining crowds over the PA system between innings. Due to his proximity to the U.S. Capital, Conn often performed at embassy events and even played private shows for Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, and Harry S. Truman. Over the years, his repertoire swelled to over 1000 songs. Merv Conn was 91 when he died of complications of prostate cancer on December 20, 2011.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.
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