Ernie Heckscher

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ernie Heckscher is perhaps best known for leading a society style orchestra during the Big Band Era. His smooth arrangements were perfect for hotel ballrooms that catered to a wide age range. Ernie toured his orchestra in big cities such as Memphis and Chicago but found his greatest success (and a very loyal audience) in San Francisco. There his band performed at the Palace Hotel, the Mark Hopkins Hotel, and the Fairmont. In fact, he was booked in the Fairmont Hotel from 1948 until his retirement in 1986.