Gustav Adolf Wilhelm Glahe, known professionally as Will Glahé, was born on February 12, 1902, in Elberfeld, Germany, and was an accordionist, pianist, composer, and bandleader. He studied piano at the Musikhochschule Köln and joined the Dajos Béla Orchestra in 1929. Glahé founded his own orchestra in 1932, achieving breakthrough success with "Beer Barrel Polka" in 1936, which sold over a million copies by 1943. During World War II, he was involved in troop entertainment and was later captured as a prisoner of war. Post-war, Glahé moved to Zurich in Switzerland and continued his career, achieving significant success in the USA with collaborations including the Glenn Miller Band. He returned to Germany in the mid-1970s and settled in Rheinbreitbach. Throughout his career, he received 17 Goldene Schallplatten awards. He passed away on November 21, 1989.
