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* Gov. Bruce Rauner was asked a question about his Wikipedia entry last week by a student journalist…

“You played the English horn in college and won several honors for outstanding performances in playing this instrument. Do you still play this instrument?” Gordon asked. […]

Rauner, however, said the entry isn’t true.

“This is a good life lesson for all of us,” the governor told the class. “I never — I didn’t play the English horn. This is a good lesson and it’s OK. I get asked that question a lot, and I go ‘I didn’t play the English horn.’

“We changed it. In fact, we had it removed from the website twice and someone puts it back. And I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me!’” he said. […]

“I actually played the trumpet and I played the baritone,” he said. “I can’t say I was award winning. I was pretty good, but I wasn’t award winning.”

Indeed, if you take a look at the Wiki revision history, you’ll see somebody has been attempting to claim he played or plays either the English horn or the French horn.

* The Question: Your theory about this weird but very real Wikipedia conspiracy?

Snark is heavily encouraged.

…Adding… The Sun-Times looks at some of the revisions…

* He plays the English horn in his spare time.
* French horn musician.
* In order to help himself cope with his divorce 22 years ago, Rauner has found solace in playing the French horn.
* At Dartmouth, he also studied [English horn], played in the orchestra and won several statewide honors.

The paper reports that the English horn reference was added again this morning, then changed.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:44 am

Comments

Kirk Dillard played French Horn in high school. Maybe Local 150 got confused when they were writing up the wiki entries.

Comment by phocion Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:46 am
A bored Dan Rutherford.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:49 am
I only keep putting it back up when Mike Z or Lance forget to meet me for breakfast the third Wednesday of the month. They email back, both apologizing and reschedule and they take it down.

Then we just laugh about it next time we have breakfast.

No conspricay.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:49 am
Regardless- he’s proving he’s can blow a horn. Just not the musical kind.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:50 am
Apologies for the poor grammar:)

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:50 am
“I thought we put a password on that page! I told you guys over and over, Jason Plummer is wiley.”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:51 am
No dropped g’s for the kids?

But a lot of “I’m like …”

The guy’s a piece of work.

Comment by walker Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:55 am
It was traced back to a small, non-discript, front group in Ohio…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:57 am
“Those crafty union folks again.”

Comment by Not quite a majority Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:58 am
Pat Quinn’s revenge!

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:58 am
Well this is prime example of what happens when the folks at Wiki use corrupt and overpaid union writers.

Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:58 am
Somewhere Pat Quinn is sitting at a computer and laughing and thinking…

Next I will say he was a Quidich player

Comment by OneMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 10:58 am
Don’t believe him! He’s an English Horn player if I ever saw one.
Next thing you know, he’ll say he has nothing against unions.

Comment by hold on Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:01 am
It’s a prank by ASCAP.

Comment by Anon. Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:02 am
Archaic union rules prevent him from telling us the truth about his English horn playing.

Comment by AC Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:04 am
His family always wanted a French Horn musician in their family, and recognized in Bruce the delicate hand, lips and features of The Chosen One Who Blows French-Style.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:05 am
The french horn is simply a cover story for the years Bruce spend on the road as a trumpet/sax man with Funkadelics and JB’s Famous Flames plus his studio work at Stax. He has some great stories from that time.

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:05 am
Michael J. Madigan has been trying for years to remove the part of his bio which claims he eats an apple every noon.

“I have no idea how that thing ever got started”, the obviously frustrated speaker retorted.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:06 am
He should be flattered. Somebody, besides himself, actually said he was good at something.

Comment by Casual Observer Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:07 am
Mere confusion.
Rauner flipped a company which once made French Horns into one that now assembles catheters in Hong Kong.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:08 am
An easy mistake.
A biographer confused Rauner playing the French Horn, to Rauner playing Mr. French in Family Affair.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:09 am
Well, the English horn is rather soulness in comparison to the sax or trumpet.

Comment by Jake From Elwood Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:09 am
A typo.
Rauner didn’t play French Horn, Rauner prefers French dip sandwiches at an Arby’s in Paris, Illinois.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:10 am
“Who ever heard of going into battle with an English Horn? Therefore as Governor I hereby revise history to say I played a trumpet as I lead the charge against those Union dogs.”

Comment by A Jack Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:11 am
It’s the Dartmouth secret password allowing you entry into the Rauner Library “Room 18″, which, of course, “doesn’t exist”.

You tell the librarian, “I’m hear to practice my English horn”.

You then receive a skeleton key, engraved on it “18″ and sent to the “American Fiction” section, shelving unit B, where you find a non-discript book titled “Tournaround Agenda”.

Take the book out, shelving unit moves, keyhole visible.

…

Or something like that, really it’s just a tale…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:12 am
Governor Rauner is only as twisted as a French Horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:12 am
A typo.
Rauner won awards in French porn, not horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:13 am
Custer’s Bugle Boy at the Little Bighorn.

Comment by walker Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:13 am
He won awards in English horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:14 am
There is that photo of him between Nixon and Elvis, tooting on an English horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:15 am
Now we know what is tying up the Speaker’s time and keeping him from voting.

Comment by Another Dave Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:16 am
Rauner actually does it himself.

English horn was the name of his first dog.

It’s sentimental, really. Keeps him grounded.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:16 am
It was when Rauner appeared in that Ricola commercial, dressed in Leiderhosen and honking on that horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:17 am
“I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever done”

“I wasn’t award winning”

GOTCHA GUV

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:17 am
Because when he was in college, he nicknamed his bong, the English Horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:18 am
“I actually played the trumpet and I played the baritone,”

Oh for crying out loud!
This guy was such a bad musician he called his English Horn either a trumpet or a baritone! Even after being corrected numerous times, Rauner still referred to his English Horn as a Trumpet.

He would have won numerous awards if he would have focused on playing English Horn music on his English Horn, instead of trumpet solos!

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:23 am
If he were an English Horn player, his repertoire would consist of repeatedly playing a single note, fortissississimo.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:24 am
He only played English Horn before riding off on his horse, “Miss Vanderfluff” to send off the hounds while he and Emanuel, dressed in riding kit, would pursue that clever fox!

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:30 am
Next week the Wiki article will read “…played the English Horn for entry of the Rolling Stones song You Can’t Always Get What you Want”.

Comment by Stones Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:32 am
They are confusing Rauner’s attempt to creating a specialty license plate for the English Horn.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:34 am
His Mother was actually a member of the English Horn Players Union. From a young age, she forced him to practice while taking a portion of his allowance for EHPU dues.

Comment by hmmm Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:38 am
“I don’t play a French horn, I play a Freedom horn”

Comment by Anonymoiis Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:38 am
Well since the sound of both the F-horn (there really isn’t an instrument called the French Horn…just the F-Horn) and English Horn are far mellower that the trumpet, it would seem to even the most casual observer that listing is an attempt to show the Governor as a mellow guy…sort of like Chuck Mangione and his flugelhorn.

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:39 am
He was going to start a career as a session musician until he found out he’d have to work for union scale.

Comment by stoney Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:41 am
“I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever done - except removing a fake Wiki article!”

Comment by Stones Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:42 am
English horn? French horn? What wrong with an American horn? I wouldn’t trust this guy.

Comment by a drop in Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:43 am
Oh make up your mind. Did you play in a band or orchestra? Did you play a reed instrument or a brass instrument? High brass or low brass?

Comment by Huh? Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:43 am
What does an English horn have in comments with the ruiner administration? They both sound like a wounded duck.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:45 am
Either way, he blows!

Comment by Corn boy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:48 am
Because doesn’t it sound more likely that the owner of nine homes would play a hoity-toity-sounding instrument like the French horn? To play the trumpet translates to, “I live in a bungalow.”

Comment by Democrat Grrrl Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:48 am
Wikipedia used to say Rauner had been married third time (when he was in college, presumably?). Maybe *she* witnessed him playing the English horn. (Cue Twilight Zone music!)

Comment by Cantankerous Cal Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:52 am
If anyone else says I played the English horn or the French horn, I will bury you. I will hurt you and your family

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:54 am
The only horn Rauner cares about tooting is his own.

Comment by too obvious Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:56 am
I’m tempted to go over to that Wiki page and add Bass Clarinet just to get a little more material over here.

With a French horn, no one can tell if you’re any good at it or not…no song is recognizable. lol

Comment by A guy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 11:57 am
Typical politician - trying to “brass” it out!

Comment by Outsider Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:13 pm
Of course he played the trumpet or the baritone!! They are much louder than the English horn, and we all know Rauner wants it deafeningly loud when he ‘toots his horn’ about his conservative anti-union street cred.

Comment by train111 Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:16 pm
Makes me think of this old joke…

“How many French Horn players does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but he’ll spend two hours checking the bulb for alignment and leaks.”

Comment by Stuff Happens Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:25 pm
Check out the Brass Messengers if you want to see some kick but bass!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZBONLxD2aQ

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:26 pm
Might be from a “friend” in college that he no longer has a “relationship” with.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:27 pm
Rauner: “He misunderstood. I was blowing my trumpet as I circled Cape Horn during a English yacht race. I won that race, which explains the award.”

Comment by Wensicia. Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:30 pm
French horn players are excellent kissers, but they hold you funny…

Comment by countryboy Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:31 pm
He blows neither a French horn nor an English horn. He blows his Own horn, and as he says, he isn’t overly good at it.

Comment by Beethoven Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:39 pm
We knew he had brass, just not in the musical department.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:54 pm
He can’t be all bad if he plays the trumpet…

Comment by St. Louis Bob Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 12:55 pm
I, too, played the baritone. The first step to recovery is acknowledgment.

Comment by D.P.Gumby Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:02 pm
Wikipedia must also be wrong about the Governor’s religion. it shows him as being Episcopalian, but he went to communion at Cardinal George’s funeral last week.

Comment by GA Watcher Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:11 pm
One must simply look up French Horn on Urban Dictionary and scroll down to entry 5 and later. Not appropriate to post here. Someone is having fun. See for yourself!!

Comment by College Student Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:15 pm
Perhaps this is why as governor, all Rauner seems to know how to play is TAPS.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:33 pm
==Wikipedia must also be wrong about the Governor’s religion. it shows him as being Episcopalian, but he went to communion at Cardinal George’s funeral last week.==

If he was given permission to do so, it’s not unheard of. Bishops can grant such communion requests for Episcopalians, given the similar beliefs between the two religions regarding communion.

Comment by Anonymoiis Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:47 pm
Maybe they just presumed that Bruce Rauner played the crookedest instrument in the orchestra?

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 1:52 pm
I think we all know what this classic oboe joke is all about.

Comment by Juvenal Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 2:44 pm
A serial French Horn player who hates the English..I have no idea what that means

Comment by Empty Suit Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 3:28 pm
We call it a “freedom horn” around these here parts!

Comment by Juice Monday, Apr 27, 15 @ 4:46 pm