Wally Pikal, American Hall of Fame musician and entertainer, Died at 90

  Music

Wally Pikal was born in 1927 and died on March 2, 2017.

He was a musician/entertainer who is in the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

As a senior in high school, he played his first professional job with the Jerry Dostal Band.

At an early stage, he had learned that he could play two and even three trumpets at the same time.

Then he decided, he wanted to do it while jumping on a pogo stick, to the total amazement of his audiences.

During 1950, Pikal formed the band “Wally & the Dill Pickles”.

He was playing for over a half a century.

Pikal also owned a music store in Hutchinson, Minnesota.

His one-man vaudeville show earned him fame on national television shows.

He also appeared on The Tonight Show (host Joey Bishop was filling in for Johnny Carson) in 1973, he played three trumpets while jumping on his pogo stick, to which Bishop said, “Son of a gun!”.

He also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show around the same time.

He also had a weekly Friday radio show called “The Pikal Patch” on KDUZ in Hutchinson and still entertains audiences with his old-time band.

He was playing two trumpets at once, then he has stopped using the pogo stick.

Wally Pikal passed away at 90 years old.