Salute to Sinatra

This week, the folks of public TV give us "Salute to Frank Sinatra" done Champagne style! Here's Lawrence getting things started by introducing the first number, "I've Got You Under My Skin".

The entire show was made up of the most popular songs Ol' Blue Eyes has sung (even Sinatra impersonator Joe Piscopo would love this show!) and then some. The boys in the band did great job with instrumental versions of "Young At Heart", "Ol' Man River" and "Just A Closer Walk On Thee" with great clarinet work by Henry Cuesta.

Tom Netherton should feel right at home on this episode, here he is with Johnny Zell with his rendition of "This Love Of Mine".

We also had Anacani with the classic number, "Strangers In The Night", along with Kathie Sullivan singing "I Only Have Eyes For You" and a great dance number by Cissy and Bobby dancing to "Chicago".

It was the Aldridge Sisters and the Otwell Twins' turn this week to tackle one of the Maestro's most popular numbers, and huge pop hit for Frank and daughter Nancy, with "Something Stupid", and with the acoustic accompanment by Roger and David Otwell combined with Sheila and Sherry Aldridge's angelic voices...made for a great musical number.

And there's Gail Farrell and Dick Dale with their cute version of "Love And Marriage" where we Generation Xers know better as the theme song of the classic TV show, "Married With Children".

You'll notice that our team of Gail and Dale is alot more friendlier than Peg and Al Bundy!

The hits and memories are priceless, from Ava Barber's flirty version of "A Bushel And A Peck" to Guy & Ralna's "The Tender Trap", Ken Delo's version of "That's Life", to the huge finale of "Night And Day" featuring the cast, it all makes for a wunnerful, wunnerful show for any Rat Packer, young and young at heart alike!

This week in the hot seat, Mary Lou Metzger interviewed longtime Welk producer for OETA Robert Allen. He talked about how the Lawrence Welk Show found a home on public televison, first when "Lawrence Welk: Television's Music Man" special aired which spurred interest by PBS affiliates...which since 1987, the place where the Welk Show has called home every Saturday night....and don't forget about those pledge week specials, which has helped the show to be the higest rated show on PBS!

That's the show for this week, next time....it will be "Transportation" and it will be Ken Delo having the pleasure of being interviewed!