Gerlach, Ed

Ed Gerlach was born in Livingston, Texas in 1920 and began playing the piano at the age of five. An only child, Mr. Gerlach was raised by his grandparents and other extended family members who were extremely supportive of his musical interests. When his grandmother obtained a soprano saxophone for him, she begain learning alto saxophone so she could assist him. When Mr. Gerlack still at a young age, switched over to tenor saxophone, his grandmother had him driven to lessons in Houston to study with Cliff Drescher. It was discovered early on that Mr. Gerlach was a natural talent although he has professed to practicing less than 30 minutes daily at that time.

During his college years Mr. Gerlach attended Texas A&M studying architecture for a brief time before he decided that music was what he would do professionally. He was offered a scholarship to Sam Houston State University to study in the music department and shortly after beginning he was asked to head the college’s dance band.As the band became an independent entity from the school, World War II began. The group, now called Ed Gerlach and the Houstonians, were so dedicated keeping the band together that they enlisted in the Air Force at Ellington Field all at once.

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