Wally Pikal

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Wally Pikal
Nationality United States of America
Instruments trumpet


Wally Pikal (February 15, 1927 – March 2, 2017) was an American musician and entertainer who is included in the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. He was famous for his ability to play multiple trumpets simultaneously while jumping on a pogo stick.

Life and career[edit | edit source]

Pikal was born in Brownton, Minnesota in 1927. Wally soon learned that he could play two and even three trumpets at the same time. That was strange enough, but Wally began doing it while jumping on a pogo stick, to the total amazement of his audiences. In 1950 he formed the band "Wally & the Dill Pickles". Wally continued playing for over half a century. He also owned a music store in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Wally's one-man vaudeville show earned him fame on national television shows. In an appearance on The Tonight Show (host Joey Bishop was filling in for Johnny Carson) in 1973, Wally played three trumpets while jumping on his pogo stick, to which Bishop said, "Son of a gun!". Wally also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show around the same time.

Wally had a weekly Friday radio show called "The Pikal Patch" on KDUZ in Hutchinson and entertained audiences with his old-time band.

He died at home in Litchfield, Minnesota in 2017 aged 90.

References[edit | edit source]