Did Hitler play a role in Jimmy Shand’s rise to musical stardom?
HE played f or royalty and mingled with pop stars during a 70-year career that saw him win international acclaim.
But Sir Jimmy Shand’s stardom may owe an unlikely debt to Adolf Hitler – who is said to have helped him to secure a custom- made accordion.
Called the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of instruments, the Hohner Special was played by Sir Jimmy on The Bluebell Polka, his UK Top 20 hit in 1955.
On the eve of the Second World War, its delivery was held up, and now the star’s son Jimmy Jnr has revealed the Führer’s potential role i n ensuring it reached Sir Jimmy – helping to make musical history.
Hitler is said to have stepped in to allow the German-made accordion to be sent to Sir Jimmy’s home in Dundee in 1939 as war clouds gathered over Europe.
Jimmy Jnr, 83, of Auchtermuchty, Fife, said Sir Jimmy and Dundee music shop owner Charles Forbes worked on producing the customised accordion.
They met German firm Hohner’s chief designer, Venanzio Morino, and they built and designed a prototype to create his unique sound on what was called the Hohner Special. Mr Shand said: ‘The prototype of the Shand Morino [the Hohner Special] was ordered from Germany just before the Second World War broke out. The accordion was late and my father was worried about it. ‘The Government got in touch with Germany to get the accordion here because war was imminent and I was told that Hitler was informed about it. ‘Hitler apparently took some piano lessons in his youth and he agreed that i t could be sent out to Sutherland Street in Dundee, and the rest is history.
‘Quite a lot of people in Germany also know about this story.’
Mr Shand said it may have been Mr Forbes who made the inquiries that led to Hitler fast-tracking the accordion’s delivery. No paperwork exists now to support the claim but Mr Shand said his father visited the Hohner factory near Stuttgart in later life and may have discussed the story with its managers. It then entered Shand family lore. Sir Jimmy, who died in 2000 aged 92, was medically unfit for the Armed Forces, so he joined the fire service instead, playing in a dance band when off-duty.
After the war, he became a fulltime musician, while the design based on the Hohner Special was mass-produced by Hohner under the Shand Morino name.
Sir Jimmy went on to sell millions of records. He enjoyed worldwide popularity, and was a Royal Family favourite.
His signature tune began to be played at Dunfermline Athletic matches and the crowd still leaves East End Park to the sound of The Bluebell Polka.
‘People in Germany know this story’