William "Willy" Larsen (November 18, 1885 – March 10, 1935) was a
Finnish American accordionist and director.[1]
Larsen's ancestors came to
Finland from
Norway in the 17th-century, and he was born in
Kotka. As a young man Larsen became a sailor and moved to the US before
World War I. He settled down in
New York City, where he performed at the Finnish American halls.[1] Between 1920 and 1931, Larsen made 42 solo recordings for
Columbia Records.[2] He also made several recordings as accompanist for various artists, including
Leo Kauppi and
Hannes Saari.[3]