William Charles Stoess (1902 – 1953) was an American music arranger, musician, conductor and composer.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Stoess of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stoess was a violin soloist and an announcer on
WLW radio in
Cincinnati, Ohio. He began conducting a small ensemble there as early as 1921.
In 1923, he became that station's first full-time music director, and he held that position for both WLW and WSAI (also in Cincinnati) from 1928 to 1937.
Under Stoess's direction and station owner
Powel Crosley Jr
Powel Crosley Jr. (September 18, 1886 – March 28, 1961) was an American inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He was also a pioneer in radio broadcasting, and owner of the Cincinnati Reds major league baseball team. In addition, Crosley' ...
.'s leadership the music program grew to over 100 staff members by 1932 and was broadcast throughout the United States, earning WLW the nickname "The Nation's Station".
Stoess is credited with the early development of the soundtrack for the
radio dramas produced at WLW.
/sup> These dramas were nicknamed "soap operas
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
" in reference to WLW's close relationship with sponsors Procter and Gamble.
While he was at WLW, Stoess directed ''Vocal Varieties'', which originated at WLW and was broadcast on NBC-Red.
Stoess left WLW in July 1944 to work for Trans-American Broadcasting & Television Corporation in New York.[ Later, he went to the American Broadcasting Company, where he was responsible for the music of the religious drama ''The Greatest Story Ever Told''.]
Personal life
On July 17, 1925, Stoess married Rosemary Ellerbrock, a pianist and organist who performed as both soloist and accompanist at WLW. The two met when they were students at Cincinnati College of Music.[ ]
Death
On September 24, 1953, Stoess died at Forest Hills, Long Island, New York. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, and his parents.
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
* Lichty, Lawrence Wilson, ''"The nation's station": a history of radio station WLW''. Ohio State University dissertation, 1964.
* Obituary, ''New York Times'', September 27, 1953.
1902 births
1953 deaths
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