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The Four Populaires

American pop dance band. Bill Walz and Bill Sloane started the vocal and instrumental group The Four Populaires on January 11, 1946. Almost immediately the group was featured on both NBC and CBS radio and television networks. The group performed in major hotels and clubs around New York City and around the country. In July of 1948, The Populaires joined The Greenbrier their first time for a two-week period. That two-week period turned into almost 42 years of playing music at the Old White Club at The Greenbrier. Members included: [b]Bill Sloane[/b] - accordion/piano, [b]Chuck Bills[/b] - tenor saxophone/clarinet, [b]Kenny Martin[/b] - trombone/drums, and [b]Bill Walz[/b] - bass. All four also sang in the group. [b]Don Brayton[/b] joined later and played drums and sang vocals. [b]Michael (Mike) Powers[/b] began early with the group and played guitar but may not have recorded with the group. Other members included [b]Conny Thymius[/b] - woodwinds and [b]Billy Purcell (5)[/b] - drums. From 1949-late 1980's, resort house band at, variously: The Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Pier 66, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; The American Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida; The Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada; and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.