Adolph Hofner – Celebrating 101 Years
Adolph Hofner (1916 - 2000) was a Texas western swing bandleader based in San Antonio.
Hofner was born into a family of Czech-German origin. When he was ten years old his family moved to San Antonio. He and his younger brother Emil (Bash Hofner) together with Simon Garcia, formed the "Hawaiian Serenaders" performing locally. Influenced by Milton Brown and His Brownies, Hofner decided to become a singer in a Western Swing band. In the mid-1930s, he joined Jimmie Revard's Oklahoma Playboys and in October 1936, he made his first recordings with them as singer and guitarist. Hofner made his solo debut in 1938 when he was offered a contract with Bluebird Records. Hofner formed his own swing band "Adolph Hofner and His Texans." They made their recording debut recording at the Texas Hotel in downtown San Antonio. Hofner had his first and biggest hit in 1940 with "Maria Elena." Some of his other hits included "Cotton-Eyed Joe," "Alamo Rag," and "Jessie Polka."