With music they said was so corny "it was right off the cobb," The Windy City Ramblers made their mark on the local hillbilly scene. They were the First Place Winners on the old Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour in 1938 and were often on the bill with The Rodeo Girls.My mother was closest to Eddie and George, whom she says had a crush on her before he married his wife Bernice. They kept in touch and the Holeshas even visited her in Las Vegas a few years ago. Steve Woida sent these pictures of his father Eugene during his days as a Rambler. Rose recently got together with Eddie Tandaric who serenaded us with a few bars of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds."Tom's daughter Leah Bezin wrote:"You can't imagine my surprise to locate the Windy City Ramblers photo on your site! My dad was Tom Nayder, the bass/guitar player of that group. He just passed away on April 3rd (2005). . . George was always Santa Claus on the telephone for us when we were kids. The picture of them playing together when they were older is taken at my mother's 75th birthday party and at my house. . ."And the Windy City Ramblers reunion sounds were vibrating out my windows. The neighbors commented on how nice it sounded. OF COURSE!"
WINDY CITY RAMBLERS
Eddie
Gene
George
George and Bernice visited Rose in Las Vegas
Tom Nayder
"Amateur Show Winners, 1938"
Eddie Tandaric
George Holesha
Eugene Woida
Find out about The Yodeling Cowgirl, Tom's wife
Listen to The Windy City Ramblers' winning performance on the Morris B. Sach's Amateur Hour!
Tom Nayder is heard playing string bass and also played rhythm guitar. Leah writes: "So passionate was he about his music, he strapped his guitar to the back of his tank and carried it with him into the D-Day Invasion of France." Tom was a tank commander in WWII and lost his right arm while attempting to rescue one of his fellow tankers after the tank was disabled from enemy fire. This Purple Heart, Bronze and Silver Star soldier just learned to play tuba left-handed!
