Dan in concert at a local church in the 70's                                                                                               

          "Music to Millions" Wurlitzers logo and Dan has performed Music to Millions during his life"

With the coming of the 80's Dan's career in music took a change. Dan continued as organist for two local churches as he also continued to perform concerts in churches throughout the tri-state area. It was in the 80's that Dan recorded two new recordings Rainbow of Songs, and New Horizons. Dan made several trips to Nashville to play the keyboards for several recording projects for upcoming artists. But The highlight of Dans career was his dream come true. He always wanted to become a Concert artist but without formal training from some music school or university this dream seemed just a dream. One day in Dec in 1984 a Concert Artist could not make it for a concert and a District Manager for the Wurlitzer Comapany knew how well Dan Played and had done many concerts and that he was know for how he "Painted Musical Pictures" in his performances. Dan filled in during this emergency. The reviews and letter's Wurlitzer recieved were outstandsing. So Wurlitzer contacted Dan and the rest is history, a hillbilly from the hills of West Virginia his dream came true so dreams do come true so never give up. Wurlitzer, the worlds longtime leader in the Music industry, though today the old Wurlitzer has passed but the legacy will never.  Even the name badges showed the world why Wurlitzer was the worlds leader for so many years. From the Mighty Wurlitzer, to radios, jukeboxes, and even creating the worlds first Drone, and smart bomb during World War II. Leading the world in pianos, band instruments, accordions, guitars, banjos. During the civil war, the Wurlitzer bugle was used by Union forces. The list is so impressive, the History is a legacy both to the United States and the World. Wurlitzer........

Dan's Love of Trains

As Dan began this new journey with the Wurlitzer Company in the 80's Dan toured the country  and became known for " Painting musical Pictures" in his arrangements. It was no secret that Dan loved trains. Dan would dress up in a black train conductors suit pocket watch included along with the black hat and come on stage and begin his concerts with "The Walbash Cannonball" with all the stream, bells and whistles. The Wurlitzer Company would send out train type tickets to the places Dan would perform stating " Wurlitzer presents..Dan Wheeler and the Walbash Cannonball. Dan worked with Hector Olivera to put on a train ride and concert in a train station in Dresden, Ohio.[Picture below]

For many years now artists all over the world would play the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe organ including 'train songs" which inspired Dan throughout the years, and lead him to this theme for his concerts.  Dan recieved outstanding reviews in National and International publications for his performances, using all the bells and whistles, bag pipes and car horns. From coast to coast performing nearly 200 concerts each year for hundreds of thousands of people, along with trade shows each year for The Wurlitzer Company from Dekalb Ill. Dan has performed in nearly every major city including Los Angeles, New Orleans, St. Louis, Vegas,Chicago,Boston,Washington. San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Dallas,New York,Detroit, touring in nearly 40 States, along with performing at National Organist Conventions with some of the worlds finest organists, in Florida,Chicago, and California.

                                                              Many State fairs including The North Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Texas just to name a few. Dan was involved with product development along with teaching programs and marketing, including owners manuals for products and design, midi recordings and arrangments and class teaching lesson programs for the Wurlitzer Company. So he then became a product specialist and artist.

                                                                                      Dan also played concerts at the AOAI Conventions at Disney World in Orlando Flordia and recieved great reviews in their International Publication Hurdy Gurdy.

In the late 80's Dan Wheeler performed a the first concert in the United States for Wurlitzer to introduce the new flagship organ the Omni 7000 in Wisconsin. It was here that Dan met Bob Kames Known as Bob Kames and"The Happy Organ" Bob wrote the "Chicken Dance" (Dance Little Bird)

  Dan has worked on stage or performed with some of the world's greatest organists like Hector Olivera [shown with Dan in picture above] , Seth Rye, Dennis Awe. Dan stopped traveling in the late 80's but still continued to work as a consultant with Wurlitzer with product literature, and owners manuals. Dan continued to record and write music. In the early 90's Dan began work at this time as a Keyboard Sales manager for a chain of music stores. During this time he received national recognition for teaching a group keyboard program for The Yamaha Corp. of American which he received an award.

Dan was teaching 300 students each week in his adult music classes using his STS teaching methods.  Dan started performing concerts with a very good friend of his Mr. Myron Gibbons. The concerts were held once each year and were called "Dueling Organs" . The concerts raised thousands of dollars each year for Easter Seals. Along with Easter Seals Dan, has performed concerts to raise money for Big Brother's & Sisters, The Lions Club, AARP, and other organizations.

Recording's

 Dan Began recording in the 70's while in high school.  Including at the Oak Ridge Boy's Studio's in Tenn. In the 90's Dan released several recordings of his own including two Christmas Cd's 'A Family Christmas" and "The Sounds of Bethlehem", Hockey Night, Treasury of Hymns, You Can Put The Blame On me, Theatre Organ sounds of Dan Wheeler, Orange Blossom Special and other Bluegrass songs, T.V. and Movie Hits, Big Band Favorites, Polka Favorites A Tribute to Frankie Yankovich and others. There are 22 to his credit in all including Eight Tracks, Cassetts, Cd's and Records. His recordings reached coast to coast and in Canada. From Dan's KN7000 Technics Keyboards. The CD Amazing Grance/There is a Fountain Filled With Blood. Copyright 2000 New Horizon Productions. Dan's performing career came to a sudden stop in 1994. Dan was forced to stop performing in 1994 when he sustained a back and shoulder injury in a accident. Dan was told that he would no longer be able to play music but he would not except that and the road to recovery was a long and hard one.

Though Dan worked hard in P.T. for 15 months he still today is unable to perform as he once did as a concert artist, so he has focused his music to the development of teaching young people and adults keyboard music lessons. Dan has worked in the development of keyboard class lesson programs for many major keyboard manufacturers Hammond,Wurlitzer,Kimball,and Conn. To read more about the personal side of Dan and his family click below.

The Personal Side of Dan [ Dans Family]

Dans near death experience " On Deaths Doors" next to read about it.