Harry Hersey
Harry E. Hershey
Euclid Senior High School, Class of 1952
With a surname synonymous in American with sweetness, Harry Hershey has made sweet music for most of his life, starting in high school and continuing to the present day. Not everyone winds up living a life based on what that person loves to do, but Harry is one of those fortunate ones.
Starting in high school Harry played in the school band and played the piano as the accompanist for the school choir. When he graduated in 1952, he was part of the first class to complete all three of their senior high school years at the consolidated and then-new Grade 10-11-12 high school building that replaced Shore and Central High Schools.
After high school, the sweet times kept coming for Harry as he used his love of and his skills in music to fashion a rich career as a music educator, church organist, musical director, professional band leader, radio show host, and performer with some of the greatest stars in American show business.
From the time after his high school graduation, Harry embarked on a career as a band leader and entertainer that is still going on today. Some significant events have marked his progress. The first significant event was his graduation from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1958 when he earned his bachelor’s degree in music education and later when he completed 24 credits of graduate study at Kent State University. The next event lasted over a quarter of a century as he began a 27-year career as a vocal and instrumental music teacher of Euclid students in Grades 5 through 12 that lasted until 1985 when he retired.
During this time as a teacher in the Euclid Schools, Harry also was the organist and choir director at four local churches. To add some excitement to his summers, Harry entertained the crowds at Cleveland Municipal Stadium as the organist for the Cleveland Indians from the 1962 season through that of 1968.
A professional performing career in show business also occupied much of Harry’s free time. He was the musical director for Cleveland’s Playhouse Square “Stompin’ at the State” performances. Then, significantly for his posterity’s sake, he established a 12-piece orchestra that he led for over 40 years. Every Sunday, for 12 years, Harry and his band performed live on the radio from Swingo’s Restaurant during its “Big Band Brunch” show on station WBBG AM. His band was noted as the “Music of Your Life” band for Cleveland audiences whose musical roots and preferences extended back to the 1930’s and 1940’s, especially to the music of World War Two years.
To satisfy this desire of his audiences, Harry wrote and arranged two shows that featured songs from the World War Two era. He then conducted his band in over 200 sold-out performances of this show in Northeast Ohio.
The fame of Harry’s band preceded him, and he and his musicians performed in numerous ballrooms, restaurants, and black-tie parties in the Cleveland area. Governor (now Senator) George Voinovich had Harry and his band play at his Governor’s Ball. Many show business stars hired Harry to accompany their acts, and the list reads like a Who’s Who of stars: Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Vic Damone, Diahann Carroll, and the Andrews Sisters.
As a retiree now in Hernando, Florida, Harry and his musical skills are still in demand. The stars for who he has performed in Florida as either an accompanist or musical director include another Who’s Who: Roberta Peters, Bobby Vinton, Connie Francis, the 4 Aces, the Diamonds, Teresa Brewer, Joan Rivers, Regis Philbin, and Susan Lucci. He has also performed at Florida landmarks like Disney World, Universal Studios and Cypress Gardens. He sill finds time to be the organist and choir director for a local church and the director for another choral group and is still active professionally with musical groups in his area.
Before relocating to Florida, however, Harry was instrumental in helping to organize the Euclid Civic Orchestra, which at its height had over 70 members for whom Harry was the musical director. He also organized the Euclid Civic Chorus and the Euclid Youth Jazz Orchestra for students between the ages of 12 and 17. This youth group won three gold medals in international competitions and performed in Hawaii; Disney World; Washington, D.C.; and at the White House.
Awards that Harry has won include the Outstanding Music Award while a student at Baldwin-Wallace and later the Outstanding Life Achievement Award from B-W. Mayors from Euclid, Cleveland, Lakewood, Medina, and Rocky River also presented him the Accommodation Award as a municipal recognition for his musical service to those cities.
Married for 48 years to his wife Patricia, Harry and she have raised two daughters and a son and proudly claim five grandchildren.
Besides making sweet music for appreciative audiences for over 50 years, Harry has an unusual hobby. He loves to ride roller coasters and has ridden 283 different ones. A member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts Club, Harry looks forward to his next ride with relish.
An outstanding musician, educator, musical director, and even roller coaster enthusiast, Harry, from the Class of 1952, can also now claim membership in another class, Euclid’s Distinguished Achievement Hall of Fame, Class of 2007.
Inducted April 26, 2007