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              Bob in 1983    Bob as a young sailor

Bob is a 10 year veteran of the United States Navy, having earned such honors as 2 Good Conduct Medals, Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist designation, 2 Battle Efficiency awards, 3 Overseas Sea Service medals, and an Armed Forces Expeditionary medal for service in a "hostile fire zone" in the Persian Gulf.  Bob was a US. Naval Instructor for nearly 4 years teaching sailors the more advanced technical aspects of high pressure superheated steam propulsion. Bob taught sailors from all walks of life, including foreign Navy sailors from Greece, Pakistan, and Australia.
 

Bob is  the American part of the "Hallo Deutschland Hallo".  The music is German.  No matter how hard Bob tries, he knows he will never be truly "German".  At least in the eyes of his family in Germany, he will always be an "American".  Bob comes from an area just west of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Bob started doing radio in 1996. Bob is an original member of 24/7 Polkaheaven, with his "Big Bang Polka Variety Show", preceding "Hallo Deutschland Hallo".

In August 2001, while working for WTKM 104.9 FM, in Hartford, WI, Bob decided to do a hour of German volksmusik, to honor a very dear friend who was formerly an announcer at WTKM 104.9 FM, and who was terminally ill with cancer. The tremendous response by the listeners told Bob that he had tapped into something special. This tremendous response then became the birth of "Hallo Deutschland Hallo." For over 4 years, once a month, Bob played one hour of German Volksmusik and Schlagermusik on WTKM.  In March of 2006, "Hallo Deutschland Hallo" became a weekly staple of the WTKM repetoire.

Bob in the Land of his Ancestors!

Bob grew up in a household where polkas were constantly played. Whether it be his mother playing the accordion, his father the stereo, or his grandfather singing old German folk songs, Bob was constantly exposed to polka music.  

Like most young folks, Bob struck out in search of different musical tastes when he became a teenager.  

In 1993, Bob returned home from the Navy and struck out on his own with his musical devours always present. Bob quickly came realize that is was time to return to his roots.  Bob's grandfather, emigrated to this country from Neidenfels, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany, and from the time Bob was a young lad, was constantly teaching Bob about his homeland that he had left as a young man.  Bob's grandfather always had a passion and love for Germany that never left him.  Bob's grandfather passed this love and passion onto Bob.  So it came to be that Bob was destined to have a German music program.

"Hallo Deutschland Hallo", plays the best in German Volkslieder and the German Hit Parade of the last 50 years.  Bob is constantly looking for ways to improve the program, for entertaining listening is very important to Bob.

More than that however, Bob's passion is to teach! Teaching the listening audience about German customs, history, language, and culture is what truly motivates Bob.  Bob strives, on a weekly basis, to bring the best musical program to the listening audience..