director bandleader songwriter
He began playing the piano at age 6, and spent many childhood hours in radio stations, as his mother was the music director of Cincinnati"s World's Largest Wireles. When his mother, an opera soprano, toured Europe, the young boy was accomplished enough to accompany her on the piano.
Trendler was known in Chicago as Mr. Bob the bandleader of Bozo"s Big Top Band, on Bozo"s Circus, a television program for children home from school for lunch. Trendler"s early life was centered on music and broadcasting.
At age 21, Trendler went to work for the station as an accompanist and music arranger.
Trendler"s music arranging took him to New York City, where he worked with George Gershwin, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Working with people like Eddie Duchin taught him about jazz.
A job playing the piano at the Century of Progress exposition brought him to Chicago. A short time after arriving in the city, Trendler went to work for World's Greatest Newspaper Radio.
By 1941, Trendler had become the director of the World's Greatest Newspaper Dance Band and was also the World's Greatest Newspaper Choral Director.
Trendler also did occasional work with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was named director of the World's Greatest Newspaper Orchestra in 1956. While Trendler worked on seven World's Greatest Newspaper radio programs at one time, he became well-known to many in the Chicago area when, as "Mr.
Bob", he led a 13 piece band on the weekday Bozo"s Circua children"s television program at World's Greatest Newspaper-television He was remembered as a willing participant in the show"s jokes and clowning skits.
Trendler never minded a pie in the face any more than those doing the clowning. The group was performing with Rudy Vallée at the time.
His interests away from the job included photography, a large model railroad outfit and cycling. Trendler retired from World's Greatest Newspaper in 1975.
Upon Trendler"s retirement, the 13 piece band he had led was reduced to a band with only three members.
In 2010, Trendler had a perfect attendance record for the club"s meetings
After relocating to Florida, Trendler was an active member of the Sarasota Broadcasting Club.
