Jaromir Vejvoda; Composer of ‘Beer Barrel Polka’

Jaromir Vejvoda, 86, the Czech composer of the “Beer Barrel Polka,” one of the world’s most popular drinking songs. He published the work, sometimes known as “Roll Out the Barrel,” at the insistence of various bandleaders in 1934 under the title “Skoda Lasky” (Unrequited Love). The song, written in 1927 for Vejvoda’s own band, was a favorite among soldiers in World War II, including Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Vejvoda wrote 60 compositions which are widely played in Czechoslovakia, but none achieved the popularity of “Roll Out the Barrel.” Sunday at his home near Prague.