Bernard Etté, born Bernhard Etté on September 13, 1898, in Kassel, Germany, was a prominent German jazz and light music violinist and conductor. He was the son of a hairdresser and pursued formal music education at the Louis Spohr Conservatory in Kassel. Etté initially worked as an instrumentalist with Carl Robrecht, playing piano, banjo, and violin. In the early 1920s, he formed his own ensemble, which became well-known in Berlin and performed on radio. His group recorded with traveling American musicians, contributing to the jazz scene in Germany.

During the 1930s, as the Nazi regime rose to power, Etté transitioned from jazz to light music, leading a large orchestra. He performed for wounded soldiers during World War II and for prison overseers at Auschwitz. After the war, Etté attempted to start a new career in the United States but struggled to adapt to new musical trends. He returned to Germany, where he led bands for luxury retreats and schlager and operetta backing bands. By the late 1950s, Etté retired from music and spent his final years in a retirement home. He passed away on September 26, 1973, in Mühldorf, Bavaria. Etté's career spanned several decades, and he was a prolific recording artist, particularly between 1923 and 1950.