The Lawrence Welk Show

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2015, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

So it's the weekend, and Saturday evening on PBS, you have the Lawrence Welk Show, at least in my area.    

Welk was certainly able to get some really top notch Singers and Musicians.  

The show started before color TV.  The early programs were in black and white.  

Welk had bands prior to his TV show.  

At about the time Welk started to become successful as a Band Leader, someone called his music, "The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk."

So, they kept that name.  

And then Welk would choose one of his people to be the "Champagne Lady," the most recent being Norma Zimmer.  A previous Champagne Lady was Alice Lon.  And there were probably four others, over the years.  

Most of those early shows were broadcast live, and were not pre-recorded.  

But the live shows stopped when Fern, Lawrence Welk's wife, talked him into retiring.  

So now, you have old shows that are replayed, with a host from among the Welk people.

Quite often, the host is Mary Lou Metzger, Singer and Dancer.    

But other hosts have been Bobby Burgess, Bob Ralston, Peggy Lennon, Kathy Lennon, Ava Barbour.

Mary Lou Metzger, also married Richard Malouf, who played Bass Viol and Tuba.  

Norma Zimmer soloed, but also sang duets with Jimmy Roberts, an excellent Tenor, who also soloed.  

On one of the shows, a clip was shown from a movie where Norma Zimmer sang with Bing Crosby.  She was that good.  

This weekend's show was hosted by Mary Lou Metzger, who, at the end of the show, interviewed Norma Zimmer.  

Peanuts was a Clarinet player.  

More recently, Henry Cuesta played Clarinet and Sax.  

On Piano, Bob Smail, an excellent Pianist.  

Aladdin was a Violin player, but was also in several of the skits, sometimes with the Lennon Sisters, a young lady's quartet.    

The Lennon Sisters were Diane, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet.  

But in later years, Peggy was sometimes replaced by Mimi, a younger Lennon sister.  

The Symanski Sisters were also good singers.  They did an excellent job with "I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter."  

Sandy and Sally were a duet.  

Seems like both girls came out of Brigham Young University.  But Sandy stayed longer with Welk than Sally.  

Sally married the Country Singer, Clay Hart.  

I think they hosted the show one time.  

Charlotte Harris was the pretty Cellist. 

Bob Lido, Violinist and Fiddler and Singer, and also part of the Welk Dixieland Band.  Bob Havens was excellent as jazz Trombonist in the Dixieland Band.  And Johnny Zell on Trumpet.    

Dick Dale was a Singer and sax player.  

Myron Floren, top notch Accordion player, and sometimes fill-in Conductor.  

Joe Feeny, an Irish Tenor, who studied at U. of Nebraska, and with an excellent voice.  

Charlie Palatto, Trumpeter and Singer.  

Anacani was the Welk Mexican Senorita who would sing in English and in Spanish, and also made many of her own dresses.  

Natalie Nevins, Singer with excellent intonation.  She always got the notes right.  

In one excellent performance, she sang a song from "The Music Man," with a male quartet.

She sang, "Dream of now, dream of then..." in counterpoint with the male quartet singing, "Lyda Rose, I'm home again, Rose."

But in the movie, "The Music Man," that same song was sung by the quartet, "The Buffalo Bills," opposite Shirley Jones.  (Robert Preston played the title role.)  

But in the remake of the movie, Kristin Chenoweth did an excellent job as Marion, the Librarian.  

Neil Levang on Guitar and Banjo and Mandolin, and Buddy Merrill on Guitar, and sometimes Steel Guitar.   

Johnny Klein on drums, but in more recent programs, Mr. Humphrey on drums.  

Russ Klein on sax.  

Ken Delo was an excellent Singer, and I believe he hosted a recent show.  

Jack Imel, Singer, Dancer, and Xylophone/Marimba player.  In the early days, at the end of his Xylophone solo, he would jump from the rear of the Xylophone over the Xylophone to in front of it.  

Jack Imel also played drums, and played the spoons.  

You take two soup spoons, you see, and bang them together with your other hand, or against your leg.  

I don't know whether you can get a degree in spoon playing, but it was quite entertaining.  

Jack gave several performances playing the spoons.  

Jack joined Lawrence Welk soon after Jack was discharged from the U.S. Navy.  

Andrea Willis, Singer.  

Country Singer, Jim Turner.  

Ava Barbour was one of the Country Music singers.  

When Ava decided she wanted to be on the Welk Show, she auditioned by taking a portable cassette tape player out to the golf course, and playing her singing for Mr. Welk on the golf course.  

She got the job.    

Singer Kathy Sullivan, out of the U. of Wisconsin, with an excellent voice.   

Steve Smith was a soloist, but also sang with a quartet on the show, "The Blenders," I think it was.  

Tanya was a Singer, who also married Lawrence Welk's son.    

Larry Hooper was a Bass Singer, and also a Pianist.  

Barney Lyddel, Trombonist.  

Arthur Duncan was a Tap Dancer.

Skeets Herefort, a sax player, who had been a Band Leader.  But when he retired from band leading, went to be sax player on The Lawrence Welk Show.

Chapter 2

Bobby Burgess, the dancer, had previously been on TV as one of the Walt Disney Mousketeers, along with Actress and Singer Annette Funicello.     

Over the years, Bobby Burgess had three different dance partners:  Barbara Boylen, Cissy King, and Elaine Niverson.  

Gail Ferrell was Singer and Dancer and Piano Player.  She was later joined on the show by her husband, Ron, and a third member of that singing trio is Michael, a Tenor.

There were the Aldridge Sisters, Sheila and Sherry, with just excellent voices.  

And there were the male Otwell twins.  

These last four apparently got their start with Welk entertaining at the Welk Resort in Escondido, near San Diego.  

Then they were promoted to the TV show.  

One of Welk's favorite kinds of music was Dixieland.  

Also Polkas.  

During some of the music, Welk would go out and dance with ladies from the audience while the orchestra played.  

Lawrence Welk also had various guest performers, including Henry Mancini, and Country Singer Barbara Mandrell.  
 
On that show, Barbara sang three solos, as I recall.  

On the show featuring Mancini, he performed some of his compositions.

Mancini is a Pianist and Composer, but he performed "The Kissing Tree" by pumping with his feet a Player Piano, that played the music from a punched roll of paper.  Very nice.    

A couple different times, Composer Meredith Wilson was in the audience, and was recognized on TV by Lawrence Welk.  

Wilson was the Composer of "The Music Man." ("Seventy Six Trombones", etc.)

George Kates conducted rehearsals of the orchestra, but wasn't seen on the weekly TV shows until years later.  But when Lawrence Welk had him start conducting on TV, he seemed to do an excellent job.  

I think I probably went to high school with George Kates' son, Bruce Kates, an Oboist.  But in those early days, I didn't know there was a George Kates, because he was behind the scenes at Lawrence Welk.  

In later years, George Kates was said to be living with his wife at the Welk Resort.  

Another behind the scenes person was Rose Weiss, Costumer.  

But on one of the recent shows, after the music, Mary Lou Metzger interviewed Rose Weiss, a nice Jewish lady, I think.  

And the Welk performers were always dressed smashingly, to borrow a word from the British.  

Bob Ballard was one of the Arrangers for some of the music.  

Bob Ralston was also one of the Arrangers.  

Bob Ralston played Organ and Piano.  I've been to Bob Ralston's home in the San Fernando Valley for a concert there.  

Ralston, for a while, had a weekly radio program on station KPCC, coming out of Pasadena City College, called "Gee, Dad, it's a Wurlitzer".  

But later, the station decided to go to an all talk format, so Ralston's organ music program went off that station.

On tonight's Lawrence Welk show, Welk said that Ralston had had a TV show.  I was not aware of that, and never saw that program.  

But I believe Bob Ralston made a very serious mistake.  He apparently had been an Evangelical Christian, but later changed to Church of Religious Science.  

Why would you leave Christianity for a false religion?

"He that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." (Prov 21:16)

But one thing that "church" did was give him a job.  

Yes, they made him organist at a Church of Religious Science.  

Do you think you might want to go there to hear Ralston's organ playing?

That could be a very costly mistake.  

It could perhaps cost you your soul.

And Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Matt 16:26)

You lose your soul if you go to hell.  

I heard of a young woman who needed to have demons cast out of her.  The demons got into her because her parents took her to a church of a false religion.  

Bible teacher Kenneth E. Hagin, on family vacation with his family, stopped in Salt Lake City, and visited the Mormon Tabernacle.  

While on those grounds, a demon attacked his son, Ken.  

Fortunately, Hagin knew what to do to take authority over the demons, but it wasn't such a hot idea to visit the Mormon Tabernacle, since that's the headquarters of a false religion, founded by the false prophet, Joseph Smith.  

Some may see the Mormon Tabernacle as a tourist attraction.  But as the headquarters of a false religion, it's better to skip that tour.  

Another false prophet was Mohammed, who started Islam (the Muslims).  

Another person who started a false religion is Mary Baker Eddy, who started "Christian Science," which is neither Christian nor scientific.  

Another person that started the false religion of "Church of Religious Science," was that person, Ernest something.  

Those four people who started false religions are now sharing a fiery hell.  

It is not OK with God to go out and start a new religion.  

I'm aware that the Muslims think that Mohammed went up to heaven in a chariot of fire.  No, that was the Prophet Elijah.

The Muslims have been very much lied to.  

I telephoned the Church of Religious Science one time to find out what they believe.  

Basically, they don't believe the Bible, nor in salvation through Jesus Christ.  

I've heard a saying, "All roads lead to Rome."

That saying is false.  Not all roads lead to Rome.  

And why would you want to go to Rome, anyway?

But there may be an erroneous feeling among some people that any religion will meet your spiritual needs.  

Not so.  Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3)

Is Ralston going to let a job as Organist send him to hell?  

Why would you give up Christianity and going to heaven for that garbage?

Temporary insanity?  But the "temporary insanity" is not really so temporary, since he's been with that for years.  

To become a Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10--
"That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."   

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.