Evans, Merle

Born in Columbus, Kansas in 1891, Merle Evans joined the S.W. Brundage Carnival Band as a cornetist at the age of fifteen. For the next ten years, he traveled throughout the United States with a number of theater and comedy shows, eventually becoming bandmaster with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. In 1919, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circuses merged to form what they promoted as "The Greatest Show on Earth." Evans was selected as bandmaster for the newly combined circus, a post he held until his retirement in 1969. In addition to leading circus bands, Evans wrote eight circus marches and conducted several concert bands during the off season. Active throughout his retirement as a circus historian, Evans died in Sarasota, Florida in 1987.

From the guide to the Merle Evans Papers, 1880-1989, 1950-1985, (Special Collections in Performing Arts)

American circus bandmaster.

Born in Columbus, Kansas, in 1894, Merle Evans joined the S.W. Brundage Carnival Band at the age of fifteen as a cornetist. For the next ten years, he travelled throughout the United States with theater and comedy shows, eventually becoming bandmaster of Jess Willard's Wild West Show. In 1919, Evans became bandmaster for the newly combined Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circuses. From 1919 until his retirement in 1969, Evans played to an estimated 165,120,000 circus fans. He remained active in circus music until his death at the age of 93.

From the description of Papers, 1880-1989. (University of Maryland Libraries). WorldCat record id: 32378932