Dont sweetheart me lawrence welk biography
Biography of Lawrence Welk
Early life
Welk was born in the German-speaking district of Strasburg, North Dakota.
Earth was sixth of the quantity children of Ludwig and Christiana (née Schwahn) Welk, Roman Allinclusive ethnic Germans who emigrated remit 1892 from Odessa, Russian Monarchy (now Ukraine).Welk was a leading cousin, once removed, of preceding Montana governor Brian Schweitzer (Welk's mother and Schweitzer's paternal granny were siblings). Welk's paternal great-great-grandparents, Moritz and Magdalena Welk, emigrated in 1808 from Germanophone Alsace-Lorraine to Ukraine.The family lived bear witness to a homestead that is momentous a tourist attraction.
They clapped out the cold North Dakota chill of their first year middle an upturned wagon covered timely sod. Welk left school at near fourth grade to work full-time on the family farm.Welk certain on a career in penalty and persuaded his father come to buy a mail-order accordion be after $400 (equivalent to $5,411 imprison 2021) He promised his pa that he would work foreseeable the farm until he was 21, in repayment for representation accordion.
Any money he imposture elsewhere during that time, experience farmwork or performing, would chill out to his family.Welk did learn to speak English till such time as he was twenty-one and conditions felt comfortable speaking it diffuse public. Welk became an iconic figure in the German-Russian general public of the northern Great Plains—his success story personified the Land dream.
Early career
On his 21st celebration, having fulfilled his promise be carried his father, Welk left decency family farm to pursue nifty career in music.
Via the 1920s, he performed go one better than various bands before forming deflate orchestra. He led big bands in North Dakota and orientate South Dakota, including the Hotsy Totsy Boys and the Port Fruit Gum Orchestra. His procession was also the station zipper for the popular radio indoctrination WNAX in Yankton, South Siouan.
The Lawrence Welk Orchestra scored an immediate success and began a daily radio show, which lasted from 1927 to 1936. The radio show led stamp out many well-paying engagements for nobleness band throughout the midwestern states. In 1927, he graduated suffer the loss of the MacPhail School of Refrain in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Although many ally Welk's music with a pressure group quite separate from jazz, unquestionable recorded one notable song small fry a ragtime style in Nov 1928 for Gennett Records, homespun in Richmond, Indiana: "Spiked Beer", featuring Welk and his Gimmick Orchestra.During the 1930s, Welk straight-talking a traveling big band specializing in dance tunes and "sweet" music (during this period, bands performing light-melodic music were referred to as "sweet bands" argue with distinguish them from the extra rhythmic and assertive "hot" bands of artists like Benny Bandleader and Duke Ellington).
Initially, excellence band traveled around the nation by car. They were as well poor to rent rooms, positive they usually slept and altered clothes in their cars. Greatness term champagne music was development from an engagement at honourableness William Penn Hotel in Metropolis, after a dancer referred build up his band's sound as "light and bubbly as champagne." Dignity hotel also lays claim run into the original "bubble machine," deft prop left over from straight 1920s movie premiere.
Welk affirmed his band's sound, saying, "We still play music with rendering champagne style, which means wildfowl and rhythmic. We place rank stress on melody; the chords are played pretty much grandeur way the composer wrote them. We play with a illogical beat so dancers can perceive it."Welk's big band performed overhaul the country, but particularly welcome the Chicago and Milwaukee areas.
In the early 1940s, high-mindedness band began a 10-year share at the Trianon Ballroom occupy Chicago, regularly drawing crowds be required of several thousand. His orchestra too performed frequently at the Fdr Hotel in New York Prerogative during the late 1940s. Shut in 1944 and 1945, Welk welltodo his orchestra in 10 "Soundies", three-minute movie musicals considered motivate be the early pioneers break into music videos.Welk collaborated with Liaison artist Red Foley to tilt a version of Spade Cooley's "Shame on You" in 1945.
The record (Decca 18698) was number 4 to Cooley's give out 5 on Billboard's September 15 "Most Played Juke Box Traditional Records" listing. From 1949 bow 1951, the band had portable radio programming on ABC, sponsored newborn Miller High Life, "The Sparkling burgundy of Bottled Beer."
Recordings
In addition tot up the above-mentioned "Spiked Beer", Welk's territory band made occasional trips to Richmond, Indiana, and hold forth Grafton, Wisconsin, to record out handful of sessions for say publicly Gennett and Paramount companies.
Cut down November 1928 he recorded several sides for Gennett spread clue two days (one side was rejected), and in 1931 agreed recorded eight sides for Superlative (in two sessions) that were issued on the Broadway keep from Lyric labels. These records unadventurous rare and highly valued.
From 1938 to 1940, he recorded regularly in New York and Port for Vocalion Records.
During that period Welk recorded numerous instrumentals especially for radio stations; these transcription records became a society staple. Welk signed with Decca Records in 1941, then real for Mercury Records and Maroon Records for short periods near time before moving to Mark Records in 1959.
In 1967, Welk left Dot Records and married its former executive Randy Woodwind in creating Ranwood Records.
Welk bought back all his poet from Dot and Coral, other Ranwood became the outlet supportive of all of Welk's many artists. They started with a gigantic reissue of old Dot albums in 1968 to get them started on the right lie. Wood's interest was sold pause Welk in 1979. In 2015, Welk Music Group sold loftiness Vanguard and Sugar Hill labels to Concord Bicycle Music to the fullest extent a finally retaining ownership of the Ranwood catalog.
Welk's estate licensed primacy Ranwood catalogue to Concord Melody Group for 10 years.
The Laurentius Welk Show
In 1951, Welk effected in Los Angeles. The by far year, he began producing Authority Lawrence Welk Show on KTLA in Los Angeles, where movement was broadcast from the Dominion Ballroom in Venice Beach.
The show became a shut down hit and was picked spiral by ABC in June 1955.
During its first year on primacy air, the Welk hour instituted several regular features. To brand name Welk's "Champagne Music" tagline ocular, the production crew engineered shipshape and bristol fashion "bubble machine" that spouted streams of large bubbles across honesty bandstand.
While the bubble computer was originally engineered to direct soap bubbles, complaints from depiction band members about soapy build-ups on their instruments led dealings the machine being reworked show produce glycerine bubbles instead. At near the show's first year, glory bubble machine operated continuously, allow the bubbles wafting across loftiness musicians' faces and instruments hand over the entire hour.
Within spick year, the bubble machine was retired except for the prospect and closing "Champagne Music" selections. Whenever the orchestra played unadorned polka or waltz, Welk yourself would dance with the band's female vocalist, the "Champagne Lady". This was a long-standing aid organization in the Welk band; class first Champagne Lady was Lois Best (1939 to 1941), followed during the war years encourage Jayne Walton.
Beginning with the Welk show's freshman year, Welk was careful to program current songs in addition to the fixed big-band standards.
The Boyd Aeronaut rock-and-roll hit "My Boy Even Top" was featured on team a few different programs (November 26, 1955 and December 10, 1955, say publicly latter featuring Buddy Merrill set electric guitar). The policy was relaxed over the next day, with new songs still kick off included but now being changed as novelty arrangements.
In magnanimity December 8, 1956 broadcast, "Nuttin' for Christmas" became a agency for Rocky Rockwell dressed put into operation a child's outfit, and Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" was sung by the violinist Float Lido, wearing fake Presley-style sideburns. In another episode, the Songster Sisters and Norma Zimmer done the Orlons' No.
2 obtrude hit "The Wah-Watusi" with rendering bass singer Larry Hooper fatiguing a beatnik outfit.
These stood bring in comparison to the contemporary Denizen Bandstand, which catered to excellent teenager audience and featured glory latest acts. In a 1971 episode, Welk infamously billed rendering Brewer & Shipley single, "One Toke Over the Line" (performed as a duet by Gail Farrell and Dick Dale), hoot a "modern spiritual"; social conservatives of the era saw blush as subversive.
Later in say publicly 1970s, however, Welk's programs oft included current adult contemporary songs performed by his singers, containing "Feelings" and "Love Will Hold back Us Together" (made famous strong Morris Albert and Captain & Tennille, respectively), and current songs were included up through 1982, the final year of interchange of the show.
Whenever a Dixieland tune was scheduled, Welk harked back to his days sure of yourself the Hotsy Totsy Boys with the addition of enthusiastically led the band.
Appropriate to the target audience, the image of music on The Writer Welk Show was conservative, intent on popular music standards, agricultural show tunes, polkas, and novelty songs, delivered in a smooth, diminish, good-humored easy-listening style and "family-oriented" manner. Although described by lone critic, Canadian journalist and excitement editor Frank Rasky, as "the squarest music this side atlas Euclid", this strategy proved commercially successful, and the show remained on the air for 31 years.
Welk's musicians included accordionist Myron Floren, the concert violinist Tail Kesner, the guitarist Buddy Merrill, and the New Orleans Dixieland clarinetist Pete Fountain.
Though Welk was occasionally rumored to titter tight with a dollar, earth paid his regular band liveware top scale. Long tenure was common among the regulars. Fund example, Floren was the band's assistant conductor throughout the show's run. He was noted en route for spotlighting individual members of dominion band.
Welk had a number quite a lot of instrumental hits, including a keep mum of the song "Yellow Bird".
His highest charting record was "Calcutta", written by Heino Contemplate, which achieved hit status set in motion 1961. Welk himself was grudging to the tune, but reward musical director, George Cates, blunt that if Welk did crowd wish to record the at a bargain price a fuss, he (Cates) would. Welk replied, "Well, if it's good adequate for you, George, I conjecture it's good enough for me." Although the rock-and-roll explosion bear hug the mid-1950s had driven chief older artists off the charts, "Calcutta" reached number 1 indictment the U.S.
pop charts 'tween 13 and 26 February 1961; it was recorded in matchless one take. The tune knocked the Shirelles' "Will You Fondness Me Tomorrow" out of description number 1 position, and retreat kept the Miracles' "Shop Around" from becoming the group's greatest number-1 hit, holding their video at number 2. It put up for sale more than one million copies and was awarded a au disc.The album Calcutta!
also done number-one status. The albums Forename Date, Yellow Bird, Moon Rivulet, Young World and Baby Elephant Walk and Theme from position Brothers Grimm, produced in goodness early 60s, were in Billboard's top ten; nine more albums produced between 1956 and 1963 were in the top greenback. His albums continued to graph through 1973.Welk's insistence on nutritious entertainment led him to carve a taskmaster at times.
Application example, he fired Alice Concentration, at the time the show's "Champagne Lady," because he accounted she was showing too often leg. Welk told the chance that he would not exhibit such "cheesecake" performances on realm show; he later tried critically to rehire the singer associate fan mail indicated overwhelmingly walk viewers opposed her dismissal.
Take action then had a series obey short-term "Champagne Ladies" before Constellation Zimmer filled that spot set in train a permanent basis. Highly implicated with his stars' personal lives, he often arbitrated their wedded disputes. His musical conservatism caused occasional controversies as well. In defiance of the authentic New Orleans Dixieland clarinet that made him dinky popular cast member, Pete Pit left the orchestra in first-class dispute with Welk over addition a jazz solo to simple Christmas song.
Reflecting the controversies observe the quality of Welk's strain among the cognoscenti, in 1956, musical satirist Stan Freberg, leak out for his love of ruffle, wrote and recorded a rotten Welk satire, "Wunnerful!
Wunnerful!" Freberg impersonated Welk. Recorded with dreadful of Hollywood's best jazz musicians, arranged by Billy May form sound like authentic Welk, authority single mocked Welk's accordion prepare, his sometimes-stumbling patter between songs and the music of specified Welk favorites Rocky Rockwell ("Stony Stonedwell"), Champagne Lady Alice Quantity ("Alice Lean") and Larry Hooper ("Larry Looper").
Welk was war cry amused, and when he fall down Freberg years later, claimed sharp-tasting never used the "Wunnerful! Wunnerful!" term. Ironically, it became honourableness title of Welk's 1971 autobiography.
Despite its staid reputation, The Laurentius Welk Show nonetheless kept honor with the times and on no account limited itself strictly to song of the big-band era.
Midst the 1960s and 1970s, hold instance, the show incorporated trouble by such contemporary sources little the Beatles, Burt Bacharach mount Hal David, Neil Sedaka, class Everly Brothers and Paul Reverend (as well as, in honourableness most notorious example, Brewer & Shipley), all arranged in ingenious format that was easily digested to older viewers.
Originally come about in black and white, hold 1957 the show began exploit recorded on videotape, and pound switched to color for distinction fall 1965 season.During its itinerary run, The Lawrence Welk Extravaganza aired on ABC on Sabbatum nights at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time), moving up a half-hour to 8:30 p.m.
in interpretation fall of 1963. In reality, Welk headlined two weekly prime-time shows on ABC for triad years. From 1956 to 1958, he hosted Top Tunes gain New Talent, which aired joke about Monday nights. The series influenced to Wednesdays in the revolve of 1958 and was renamed The Plymouth Show, which dismayed in May 1959. During range time, the Saturday show was also known as The Caper Dancing Party.
During this term, the networks were in birth process of eliminating programming deviate was seen as having either too old an audience, blunt not appeal to urban community, or both (the so-called Country Purge). As The Lawrence Welk Show fit into this kind, ABC ended its run misrepresent 1971. Welk thanked ABC illustrious the sponsors at the spot of the last network put it on.
The Lawrence Welk Show long on as a first-run syndicated program shown on 250 station across the country until justness final original show was total in 1982, when Welk positive to retire. While many longtime TV shows suffered a solemn ratings drop during the counterculture movement of the late Sixties, The Lawrence Welk Show survived largely intact and even confidential increased viewership during this time.For the entire run, musical facts were divided fairly evenly halfway prerecorded lip- and finger-sync course of action and those recorded live present film or tape.
Generally, high-mindedness big production numbers featuring coruscation and singing performances were factual earlier in the day burrow the day before, often imitate famous recording studios in impressive around nearby Hollywood, while interpretation more intimate numbers were evidence live on tape or film.
Personal life
Welk was married for 61 years, until his death blot 1992, to Fern Renner (August 26, 1903 – February 13, 2002), with whom he abstruse three children.
One of king sons, Lawrence Welk Jr., hitched fellow Lawrence Welk Show trouper Tanya Falan; they later divorced. Welk had many grandchildren boss great-grandchildren during his lifetime.
Known monkey a skillful businessman, Welk difficult to understand investments in real estate at an earlier time music publishing. He was say publicly general partner in a lucrative real estate development at Centred Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California.
The 21-story white pagoda, located on the bluffs treat Santa Monica Bay at The briny Avenue, is the tallest chattels in Santa Monica. It was a joint venture with character engineering firm Daniel, Mann, Lbj & Mendenhall. Its largest latest tenant was GTE, now Verizon. Welk also owned the next 16-story luxury apartment building finish 1221 Ocean Avenue-- the "Lawrence Welk Champagne Towers", and Welk made his personal residence boast the complex.
He built righteousness adjacent 11-story Wilshire Palisades labour building at 1299 Ocean Terrace at Arizona Street. Designed have it in mind resemble a white ocean facing, it has a wedge-shaped "bow" edge, receding "decks" with hedge, and air conditioner covers think it over look like smokestacks. Its puny creates a landscaped plaza instigate the corner, and the conclude is a landmark.Welk enjoyed bringing off golf, which he first took up in the late Fifties, and was often a routine at many celebrity pro-am tournaments, such as the Bob Crave Desert Classic.Welk was awarded three US design patents:
A musically themed restaurant menu
An accordion-themed tray all for serving food at a restaurant
An accordion-themed tray for serving sustenance at a restaurant
An accordion-themed ashtrayA devout Roman Catholic, Welk was a daily communicant, as verified by numerous biographies, by sovereign autobiography and by his kinsfolk and his many staff, firm and associates throughout the years.Welk was also a noted fellow of The Benevolent and Paternal Order of Elks.
Later years
After retiring from his show most important from the road in 1982, Welk continued to air reruns of his shows, which were repackaged first for syndication very last, starting in 1986, for catholic television. He also starred dainty and produced a pair break into Christmas specials in 1984 highest 1985. In addition, he illustrious a restaurant and club breach Escondido, where he filmed lead-ins for reruns of The Saint Welk Show.
Welk died of pneumonia on May 17, 1992, fob watch age 89 in his Santa Monica apartment, surrounded by coronet family.
He was buried essential Holy Cross Cemetery, in Mug City, California.
Singles
* "Shame On You" also made the US Native land charts (No. 1) as in shape as its flip side, "At Mail Call Today" (No. 3)** "Calcutta" also made the Freed R&B chart, reaching No. 10
Honors
In 1961, Welk was inducted makeover a charter member of depiction Rough Rider Award from jurisdiction native North Dakota.
In 1967, he received the Horatio Author Award from the Horatio Author Association of Distinguished Americans. Unwind later served as the Celebrated Marshal for the Rose Bowl's Tournament of Roses parade have as a feature 1972. Welk received the Luxurious Plate Award of the Denizen Academy of Achievement in 1980.In 1994, Welk was inducted pause the International Polka Music Passage of Fame.Welk has a know-how for recording on the Screenland Walk of Fame, located pocketsized 6613½ Hollywood Boulevard.
He has a second star at 1601 Vine Street for television.
In 2007, Welk was a charter participator of the Gennett Records Prevail on of Fame in Richmond, Indiana.
Legacy
Welk's band continues to appear teensy weensy a dedicated theater in Branson, Missouri. In addition, the throw one\'s arms about show has been repackaged characterize broadcast on PBS stations, vacate updates from show performers attendance as wraparounds where the recent shows had commercial breaks.
Glory repackaged shows are broadcast hit out at roughly the same Saturday cursory time slot as the recent ABC shows, and special someone rebroadcasts are often shown not later than individual stations' fund-raising periods. These repackaged shows are produced preschooler the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority.A resort community developed by Welk and promoted heavily by him on the show is labelled for him.
Formerly known chimp Lawrence Welk Village, the Welk Resort and Champagne Village categorize just off Interstate 15 ad northerly of Escondido, California, about 38 miles (61 km) north chivalrous downtown San Diego. Welk momentary in a rather affluent "cottage" in Lawrence Welk Village. Loftiness resort is open to righteousness public and contains two sport courses, dozens of upscale timeshares, and a theater that contains a museum of Welk's seek.
The Welk Resort Theatre performs live Broadway musicals year-round.
His categorization, the Welk Group, includes Welk Resorts (run by his grandson Jon Fredricks) which has subvention in Escondido, Palm Springs, Branson (Missouri), Lake Tahoe, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The Welk Group also includes Welk Aggregate which broadcasts the show care about public television, and the Welk Music Group, which operates loftiness record labels Sugar Hill, Perspective and Ranwood.
From the determine 1950s to the mid-1980s, primacy Welk Group was known sort Teleklew, in which tele homely for television and klew was Welk spelled backwards.
The "Live Painter Welk Show" makes annual concord tours across the United States and Canada, featuring stars get round the television series, including Ralna English, Mary Lou Metzger, Gail Farrell and Anacani.
Welk's variety accomplishment has been repeatedly parodied detailed U.S.
popular entertainment for decades. The comedy show Saturday Untrue Live had a recurring turn during the late 2000s ground early 2010s, in which fiasco was portrayed by Fred Armisen.
Books by Welk
All of Welks books are coauthored by, or designed in conjunction with, Bernice McGeehan and published by Prentice Foyer, except where indicated:
Wunnerful, Wunnerful: Significance Autobiography of Lawrence Welk, 1971, ISBN 0-13-971515-0
Ah-One, Ah-Two!
Life chart My Musical Family, 1974, ISBN 0-13-020990-2
My America, Your America, 1976, ISBN 0-13-608414-1
Lawrence Welk's Musical Affinity Album, 1977, ISBN 0-13-526624-6
Lawrence Welk's Bunny Rabbit Concert, illustrated get ahead of Carol Bryan, Indianapolis: Youth Publications/Saturday Evening Post Co., 1977, ISBN 0-89387-501-5 (children's book)
You're Never Also Young, 1981, ISBN 0-13-977181-6
See also
The Lennon Sisters – mainstay chorus for Welk from 1955 cancel 1968
Aragon Ballroom (Ocean Park)
References
Further reading
Coakley, Mary Lewis.
Mister Music Villain, Lawrence Welk (1958).
Govoni, Albert. Probity Lawrence Welk Story (1961)
Kloberdanz, Grass J. "Symbols of German-Russian Tribal Identity on the Northern Plains." Great Plains Quarterly 8#1 (1988): 3–15 online.
Miller, John. "From position Great Plains to LA: Depiction Intersecting Paths of Lawrence Welk and Johnny Carson." Virginia Every ninety days Review 79.2 (2003): 265.
Miller, Bathroom E.
"Lawrence Welk and Convenience Wooden: Midwestern small-town boys who never left home." Journal corporeal American Studies 38.1 (2004): 109–125.
Schweinher, William K. Lawrence Welk: Phony American Institution (1980).
Vickery-Bareford, Melissa. "Welk, Lawrence" American National Biography (1999) https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1803327
Zehnpfennig, Gladys.
Lawrence Welk: Sparkling wine Music Man (1968)
External links
Stars worry about the Lawrence Welk Show
Lawrence Welk at IMDb
North Dakota State Univ. database of Lawrence Welk Opus Arrangements
Lawrence Welk's recordings in say publicly 1920s and 1930s, along and other info
Welk Musical Family website
Welk Musical Family blog