Bigelow, "Fritzi" (10) = fritzi10.htm

15145.17138.1 John Bigelow, b _____ ; d _______ ; m Elizabeth _____ ;

15145.17138.2 Georgetta, b _____ ; d _______ ;

Liner notes from LP in Bigelow Library:
You might say Fritzi was born with a horn to her lips. Nan Nan Bigelow must have given her a tuba mouthpiece for a "teething ring" for if you were in the Bigelow family, you had to play a horn!! She was the youngest of eight children, born in 1911 to John and Etta Bigelow in Bowling Green, Ohio. Jack, Delia. Georgia, Harry, John, Edith and Josephine were already part of the Bigelow Family Band; so Fritzi joined them at an early age singing, dancing, and playing the drum. She later added other band instruments to her repertoire concentrating on tuba and sax .Playingfor fairs, political rallies, and vaudeville shows all over Northwestern Ohio kept the family band busy during the teens. One memorable concert was for Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.
In 1925, at the tender age of fourteen, she got her first taste of vaudeville. When the Vincent Lopez Debutantes came to the Trianon Ballroom in Toledo, their tuba player became ill and needed an operation. The manager of the Debutantes was a friend of Fritzi's brother, Jack, who by this time had his own band on the Keith Orpheum Circuit. After much persuasion, Mama Bigelow let Fritzi join the group until the tuba player recovered. They played the Keith's Theatre in Toledo and the Circle in Indianapolis.
1927 found Fritzi playing tuba in brother Jack's band at the Bay Shore Inn on Lake Erie. For a publicity stunt, the band went high over Maumee Bay in a United Cigar Store airplane piloted by the famous Col. Roscoe Turner. The next day's headlines in The Toledo News Bee were "Fritzi Teaches Birds to do Black Bottom."

Jack Bigelow and his Musical Misses - 1927.. Fritzi- far right

Fritzi stayed out of high school that year to play with Jack's band. They were headquartered in Chicago where they played in the vaudeville theaters. The band ended the year with a trip to the West Coast playing in the theaters of all the major cities. It was during that year that Fritzi was first featured in her specialty one man band "Dinah" number. She played sax, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, piano, drums, tuba and ended with a tap dance. It was a real showstopper!
After traveling a year, Fritzi returned to high school and graduated in 1929. Even though playing bands was fun, Fritzi really wanted to be a school teacher. She entered Bowling Green University and studied French and math, because the music courses were too expensive.

With two years of college completed, Fritzi got the opportunity to travel again with her two sisters in a small stage band. She thought she could save enough money and return to school and study music. They toured the South in 1931. Their shows included a chorus line, comedians, jugglers, a string group and a young singer named Roberta Sherwood.

Jack Bigelow and his Sorority Girls~ Sisters Della, Georgia, Edith, Joey and Fritzi.

Fritzi returned to Bowling Green and graduated with a major in French. She also did additional work at Ohio State University and obtained a major in music. It was while she was at BGSU that she met John Hartman, a musical and physical education student. They were married in 1936 and began their teaching careers in Northwestern Ohio.
But vaudeville beckoned her in 1939 with an invitation to play tuba with the Rita Rio Band. The show called the Four Star Review, featured Toby Wing, Faith Bacon,

A BIT ABOUT JOHN A. AND JOHN B.
Backing Fritz: is John A. Hartman on keyboard and John B. Hartman on trombone, percussion, and vocal. Born in Napoleon, Ohio. John A. started his musical career under the direction of his mother, Lottie Crabtree Hartman, who was a church organist. John's high school band director, Mike Lombards, was also a big influence. In 1928 John was selected to play in the Ohio State Fair Band and was directed by John Philip Sousa.
John was also a natural athlete playing all sports, but excelling in track. In college he combined both music and athletics. John broke records on the Bowling Green State University track team and is now a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Besides being a band director, John was a successful basketball coach and guidance counselor. He directed the senior choir at the Wesley United Methodist Church for seventeen years. He is very active in Republican politics in Williams County, Ohio, and is past president of the Rotary and Toastmasters clubs. In the summers, John directs the Bryan City Band, an organization that was formed in 1852.
John B. started his musical career on the piano followed shortly by the cornet and violin. Because his father needed trombone players in the school band, John switched to that instrument in sixth grade. During his high school years, John played in the marching, concert and dance bands. He attended Culver Military Academy and was a member of the band. Athletics was important to John, and like his father, he excelled in track setting many school records.
At an early age, John B. decided he wanted to be a dentist. He pursued getting his degree at Bowling Green State University and Ohio State University. While he was at Ohio State, he played guitar with folk groups. After graduation, John served two years in the army one being in Viet Nam as a dentist.
John B. moved to the San Francisco area in 1969 and returned to school to get a certificate in Periodontia from the University of California. He presently is practicing dentistry in Novato California. Shortlv after he moved to the Bay Area. John joined the Natural Gas Jazz Band. This group performs not rr.Iy in the Bav Area but also plavs in festivals in Sacrantent: Three Rivers and Pismo Beach. Outside :: Ca!:t:™:a they have played gigs in Davenport I :-.-.-= Ir.dis.-.spriis Denver Charleston West Virginia

Virginia Bigelow Hartman's son, John (a dentist), plays trombone in The Natural Gas Jazz band for his recreation in the San Francisco area. Her daughter, Georgetta, was a 3 time winner on the Ted Mack program and played with the Phil Spitalny All Girl Orchestra. She also competed in a program from Madison Square Garden, playing a variety of instruments.
Music held this Bigelow family together over the years and it doesn't seem likely that music will disappear from later generations' gatherings.

Material for this article from: Mrs. Hartman, The Daily Sentinel-Tribune, Bowling Green, Ohio, December 19, 1980; Mrs. Ed Bigelow, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Howe's: The Bigelow Family.

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