Art Van Damme was born April 9, 1920 in Norway, Michigan. He was raised in Chicago. He joined Ben Bernie’s group in 1941 as an accordionist. From 1945 to 1960, he worked at NBC performing on ‘The Dinah Shore Show, Tonight’ and ‘The Dave Garroway Show, among other radio and television shows. He recorded 130 episodes for NBC Radio’s 15-minute The Art Van Damme Show’. From the 1940s, he enjoyed a long and successful recording career. Van Damme was a frequent tourer in Europe, and was popular among jazz listeners in Japan. He also won the US Downbeat’ magazine readers’ poll for his instrument. He also traveled to Russia and New Zealand. Art Van Damme and Myron Floren, three all-American accordion heroes, were honored at the Las Vegas Accordion Convention in 2005. The following year, Art was the chief host at the Accordions International 2006 festival at Caister, UK. Art Van Damme was a prolific performer in his prime years. He played in so many clubs, hotels, and concert stages throughout the USA and Europe, that he hardly ever needed to practice. Art Van Damme was always in action. He developed and refined his repertoire and pioneered the use of the accordion to lead jazz instruments. Art Van Damme’s playing style was so influential that it has influenced many of the world’s jazz accordionists. One musicologist said the following: Art Van Damme was “the hippest cat to swing an accordion,” and he went where no man had gone before: jazz accordion. Art Van Damme passed away on February 15, 2010. He was 89 years of age and had been suffering from pneumonia for several weeks. He was the father of three children and six grandchildren. Although he had retired to Arizona then Scaramento, California, he continued to perform nearly to the age of 90. from http://www.accordions.com
