Bohumir Kryl Bohumir Kryl ( 1875 – 1961 ) was a Czech - American financial executive and art collector who is most famous as a cornetist , bandleader , and pioneer recording artist , for both his solo work and as a leader of popular and Bohemian bands . He was one of the major creative figures in the era of American music known as the " Golden Age of the Bands . " Biography . Bohumir Kryl ( originally Bohumír Kryl , and sometimes spelled in the United States as Bohumil ) was born in Hořice , Bohemia , near Prague , on 2 May 1875 . His first instrument was the violin , which he studied at age 10 . While attending school in Hořice he was classmates with Jan Kubelík , with whom he maintained correspondence . He spent time performing both the violin and the cornet for a circus band in Prague . He also performed as an aerialist acrobat with the Rentz Circus in Germany , but an accident in 1886 ended this line of work . His father was a sculptor , and Bohumir also studied this art . He emigrated to the United States in 1889 , paying the fare in part by performing with the ship ’ s orchestra . Moving to Chicago , English sculptor H . R . Saunders furthered his profession in that area . Bohumir followed Saunders to Indianapolis and was soon employed , along with his brother , as a sculptor by General Lew Wallace and also working on the Soldiers ’ and Sailor ’ s Monument . Simultaneously he joined the When Clothing Company Band , playing the cornet and soloing on this instrument . Before long he was hired by John Philip Sousa , but was fired in 1898 by Sousa because he copied some of the band ' s music for his own personal use . He then joined Thomas Preston Brooke ’ s Chicago Marine Band , where he spent the next two years . During this time he studied with Weldon of Chicago ’ s Second Regiment Band . In 1901 he spent some time with Phinney ' s United States Band , but he joined the Duss Band permanently that year . This group was based at Madison Square Garden , at $ 800 per - month and became its assistant conductor in 1903 . This band , led by Frederick Innes , was not as well known , but he was hired as soloist , and the heavy touring schedule and two solos per concert gained him wide exposure . His solos would result in requests for multiple encores . Studying bandleaders Creatore and Vessela , he adopted a wild ' lionesque ' hairstyle that became his trademark . He became acquainted with Joseph Jiran , who owned a Czechoslovakian music store in Chicago . With Jiran ’ s encouragement , he formed his own band in 1906 styled as Kryl ’ s Bohemian Band by 1910 with the Cimera brothers . This group worked for Columbia , Victor , and Zonophone , recording works by such composers as Smetana , Dvorak , and Safranek . He earned the distinction of the first Czech musician to record on phonograph cylinder s . World War I interrupted his professional career , as he was serving in the U . S . Military . Here he attained the rank of Lieutenant and was given the title “ Bandmaster of all the Military Camp Bands in the country " . Immediately after the war he was touring with his bands , including many appearances on the Chautauqua circuit . This activity continued until he dismantled the band in 1931 . From 1926 to 1929 he would spend winters at his mansion in Tarpon Springs , Florida . He built a bandshell on his property and would give numerous concerts each year . Through his compositions and band touring , he became a millionaire by the mid - 1920s . He was a victim of an extortion attempt in 1929 , but the perpetrator was caught and sentenced to prison . The Great Depression did not affect his personal affluence as much as others , as he was a bank president and a known financier in 1932 . He later formed a “ Women ’ s Symphony Orchestra ” that featured daughter Josephine on violin and daughter Marie on piano . He also formed and conducted the " Kryl Symphony Orchestra " , which featured soloists such as Florian ZaBach and vocalist Mary McCormic . His public musical career ended in the late 1940s , when he had difficulties with the American Federation of Musicians , because although his musicians were well taken care of , he did not pay scale . His last groups played popular dance music as well as " heavier classics " . Before his musical retirement , he had traveled more than one million miles and soloed more than 12 , 000 times . His touring included many small towns such as Albany , Oregon and Bend , Oregon , where his orchestra was the first appearance by any symphony orchestra . Aside from the United States , he toured Canada , Cuba , and Mexico with his bands and orchestras and America and Europe with his daughters . He later formed booking agency and a music bureau . An Honorary Doctor of Letters was given to him in 1957 . Before his death he was President of the Berwyn ( Illinois ) National Bank , and was also involved in several savings and loans around the Chicago area . He died at his summer home in Wilmington , New York , on August 7 , 1961 , leaving an estate valued at over 1 million dollars . His widow was Mary Jerabek Kryl , originally of Vienna . Musical style . Kryl was one of the few musicians who enjoyed successful dual careers as a mainstream musical artist and as an ethnic recording artist . He transitioned from a star soloist with the Sousa outfit to a leader of ethnic Czech music , and made the transition back to the broader national audience . Because of his solo ability , he was branded “ the Caruso of the cornet " . He was a master of producing pedal tone s and the technique of multiphonic effects . He would hold a high note for a duration of one minute . As a conductor , he was well regarded , and known for his disuse of a score and baton . Legacy . While never a jazz player , his technique was an influence on Louis Armstrong and Harry James . Kryl became known as the " robber baron of the music field " because of his business talent and frugality . Upon not receiving his full fee , he was known to cancel concerts with audience members seated . Kryl ' s two daughters became established musicians , performing with Bohumir ' s " Bohemian Band " as early as 1912 . Kryl was insistent that his daughters become professional musicians . He offered each $ 100 , 000 if they were to remain single until the age of 30 , so that their careers would not be stalled by the distractions of romance . Josephine ( 1897 – 1960 ) , a pupil of Eugène Ysaÿe , spurned this offer in order to marry Dr . Paul White , director of the Rochester Civic Orchestra , in 1924 , even though Bohumir managed to delay the wedding twice . Marie initially took the same course of action when she became engaged to Greek Count Spiro Hadji - Kyriacos . However , Marie broke her engagement and was able to collect the full amount from her father . Marie did wed at age 35 to composer and NBC conductor Michel Gusikoff . Both daughters continued their musical careers after marriage . A popular Conn cornet model formally named the " Conn - queror " was nicknamed the " Kryl Model . " His band furthered the career of many Czech musicians , including Vlasta Sedlovská , Jaroslav Cimera on trombone , Leo Zelenka - Lerando on harp , František Kuchynka on double - bass , J . Frnkla on French horn , Jaroslav Kocián on violin , and multi - instrumentalist Alois Bohumil Hrabák . At one point , Kryl was considered to have one of the best private art collections in the United States . Kryl donated 16 paintings to St . Joseph ' s College .