| Buddy Hayes | |
| Birth Name: | Theodore Harmon Hayes |
| Birth Date: | August 1, 1916 |
| Birth Place: | Weston, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Death Date: | April 26, 1997 (aged 80) |
| Death Place: | Coos Bay, Oregon, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz, big band |
| Instrument: | Tuba, double bass, bass guitar |
Theodore Harmon "Buddy" Hayes (August 1, 1916 - April 26, 1997) was an American big band musician who was a member of the Lawrence Welk orchestra. His instruments were the bass and the tuba.
Born in Weston, West Virginia, in a family of performers, he first started performing at age four with his parents' band.
Hayes joined the Welk Orchestra in 1954, a year before the Welk show went on national television,[1] after a stint in the United States Army and with several other bands in the Greater Los Angeles area. During his tenure with the Maestro's band and television show, in addition to playing the bass and tuba also was a featured vocalist in comedic and novelty numbers. He remained with the Welk organization until his departure in 1966.[2]
He continued to perform live and collected and restored old string basses until his death in 1997 at his home in Coos Bay, Oregon.[3]
With Stan Kenton
| 1947 | Law of the Canyon | Bass player | Uncredited |
| 1947 | The Stranger from Ponca City | 'Jug' Player |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–1968 | The Lawrence Welk Show | Bass player | 29 episodes | |
| 2007 | Lawrence Welk's TV Treasures | Television film |