Calling in sick today

Howdy guys,

I'm not feeling too good today, last night's dinner did not agree with my stomach so right now, I'm taking it easy with some noodle soup and a nice tall glass of 7up.

Hopefully, by tommorrow....I'll be feeling better

Golf just like the pros

Spring is just around the corner, and you're looking forward to playing the first of many great rounds of golf....like the Maestro did.

Here's how you can get you Champagne Swing working right for you, the musical family will demonstrate.

First, line your ball up on the tee for a good shot....

Next, take a few practice swings....

Then, when you're ready....keep your club straight, swing and follow through

Be careful when you hit the ball....they don't always land at your intended target

That's gonna come out of his next pay check....

Happy Golfing everyone!

Musical Family Hair

This week, we'll look at Tanya Falan....and a few of her hairstyles.

Here's black & curly.....

blonde and curly.....

.....and finally, black and short

Hope you've enjoyed this hair-raising experience!

It's Oscar's Night....

No....not this Oscar, we're talking Academy Awards here

And that is also the topic of this week's Lawrence Welk Show on public television, the same weekend of this blogmaster's birthday (which is today).

God I feel old.....

This show originally aired in April 1971, a few highlights from the show include Guy Hovis in the solo spot singing the theme song from "High Noon".

Here's Myron Floren and the boys playing "Never On Sunday"....a little Escondido brass to jazz up your day I might add.

And here's comic legend Jack Benny appearing as tonight's special guest, trying to play the violin.

Finally, here's Tanya Falan in the solo spot with "For All We Know", which of course one of many hit songs by the Carpenters....and a Oscar contender for Best Song.

And speaking of Tanya, she was Mary Lou's guest in the interview segment as well.

Very fine show indeed....according to my PBS station's broadcast guide, next three weeks are in pledge mode, good news is that the Welk shows prempted are all repeats I've seen many times before.

Take care now, while I go have some birthday cake.

How about another Dick Cathcart haiku?

You know you want it....so just admit it now

Wabash Cannonball

Played so well that he would win

Peggy Lennon's heart

Lets do another Welk haiku boys and girls...

Today, this haiku salutes Dick Cathcart...who played the trumpet for the Champagne Music Makers from 1962 to 1968.

Playing the trumpet

Dixieland or Pete Kelly's

Blues by Dick Cathcart

Almost Heaven with Barbara Mandrell

Here's another vintage YouTube find! From 1980, here's special guest star Barbara Mandrell teaming up with Neil Levang for "Take Me Home Country Roads".

Sorry.....Louise, Irlene nor Truck Shackley don't appear in this clip....

Candida

And now, let's go back into my record collection and take a look at another one of my vintage vinyl albums....

Today, we look at another one of my favorites....the Lawrence Welk Candida album which was released by Ranwood Records in 1971. It has a great collection of the day's popular songs done champange style by the music makers.

Two of my favorites include "Something" and "We've Only Just Begun" with Tanya Falan providing the vocals.

I also liked their arrangement of "We Can Make Music" sung by the musical family, that song just says it all.

Here's a rundown of all the songs on the album....

SIDE ONE

1. CANDIDA - featuring Guy Hovis & chorus (2:15)

2. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA - The Welk Singers with Peanuts Hucko on clarinet (2:25)

3. SNOWBIRD - Sandi Griffths & Sally Flynn (2:07)

4. STAND BY YOUR MAN - Ralna English (2:00)

5. CLOSE TO YOU - The Welk Singers (2:30)

SIDE TWO

1. CRACKLIN' ROSIE - Instrumental (2:40)

2. SOMETHING - Tanya Falan and girls chorus (2:32)

3. WE CAN MAKE MUSIC - The Welk Singers (2:25)

4. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN - Tanya Falan (2:20)

5. ENDLESSLY - Instrumental with the Welk Singers (2:14)

Dancing With The Stars - Season Six lineup

The moment we all have been waiting for....well for those who like dancing....ABC announces it's Season Six lineup for Dancing With The Stars which will start on March 17th.

Without further delay, here's the cast.

1. ADAM CAROLLA - co-host of The Man Show (also known as The View for real men)

2. CRISTIAN DE LA FUENTE - Latin actor, don't know too much about him

3. SHANNON ELIZABETH - That chick from American Pie, also known to play poker

4. STEVE GUTTENBERG - The Police Academy residual checks must be runnin' dry

5. MARIO - He's a popular R&B singer, not and I repeat NOT the title character from the Super Mario Brothers video game empire

6. MARLEE MATLIN - Oscar winning actress, has also done television too

7. PENN JILLETTE - The other half of Penn & Teller....the one who speaks....used to do annoucing voiceovers for Comedy Central

8. PRISCILLA PRESLEY - Elvis' ex....also showed up on Dallas

9. MONICA SELES - Used to play professional tennis

10. JASON TAYLOR - Pro Bowl defensive end for the Miami Dolphins, not the reason why they won just one game last year

11. MARISSA JARET WINOKUR - played Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway version of Hairspray...also won one of those awards called a Tony

12. KRISTI YAMAGUCHI - Olympic medalist figure skater not named Nancy or Tonya

And that's your lineup....sadly no Welk stars made the cut. But who knows, maybe on the results shows, the Macy's Stars of Dance will invite Arthur Duncan or perhaps Bobby Burgess and Mary Lou Metzger to show those folks a thing or two about dancing!

It's only a matter of time if they can top last season.

Songs of the South and Mardi Gras

Here's an episode that you Southerners would love, it's a salute to the Songs of the South and Mardi Gras that first aired on February 28, 1976.

And by the way, nobody did any covers to either Neil Young's "Southern Man" or Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", but there are plenty of good songs you can whistle Dixie to.....

....such as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Guy & Ralna for example,

Also, dressed as cowpokes, Cissy & Bobby sang and danced to "Big D"....

....that's Dallas by the way, not Des Moines

Other fine selections include Norma Zimmer's "Tara's Theme" or better know as the theme somg from Gone With The Wind, plus Jimmy Roberts' "Rose of San Antone", Tom Netherton with "Deep River" and the music makers instrumental of "Carolina in the Morning".

Here's Anacani kicking off the second half of the show, singing "Come to the Mardi Gras."

Here's Dick Dale with Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger with "Mississippi Mud".

There were also Louisiana favorites in this part, such as Ava Barber's "Jambalaya", Ralna in the solo spot with "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" and sweet dixieland jazz numbers such as "The Royal Garden Blues" and "The South Rampart Street Parade" shown here with the chorus to close the show.

That's the show for this week, and speaking of the Big Easy....the NBA All-Star Game is held there this year at the New Orleans Arena (home of the Hornets), and although it's not Mardi Gras, it still will be a Cajun-filled good time to watch!

Sitting in the hot seat this week is Ava Barber, who talks about her adventures on the Welk show, her husband Roger and plenty more fun stuff that leaves both ladies laughing!

Next week show is back to the repeats, Salute to the Oscars from 1971, so until then....good wishes and keep a song in your heart!

It's your lucky day, here's another Welk haiku!

Today, here's a haiku written in honor of singer Jim Turner.

Oh Shenendoah

Here's country boy Jim Turner

Knoxville's favorite son

Once again....another Welk haiku

This one salutes Bob Davis, member from the reed section since 1965.

Listen to the flute

the sax or the piccolo

Bob can play it all

The Saint of Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day today!

Here's the Lennon Sisters making cards for the occasion, wonder which fellas would be their Valentine?

Here's what happens when one gets really romantic, as demonstrated by Ken Delo....

Oh well, at least this only happens once a year.....

Enough of the cold, let's go to Hawaii!

From one of the many vintage fan magazines I have, here are some pictures from the Welk Musical Family's trip to Hawaii from 1972.

Time for a tropical feast, pass the pineapple please....

Bobby Burgess and Kristi having fun in the sun

Tanya is having fun doing the hookilau....

Gail Farrell enjoys the water on the warm beaches of Oahu....

The music makers go out on a fishing trip.....to catch the big one!

Sail away on the Banana Boat

Time for another YouTube gem, this one is from a 1975 Welk show where Dick Dale is joined by Gail, Sandi and Mary Lou as they sail down the river on their "Banana Boat".

Salute to Irving Berlin

This week's show is a salute to Irving Berlin which first aired on April 14, 1973....here are a few highlights!

Norma Zimmer and Jimmy Roberts singing "Remember?"

We also have Tanya Falan in the solo spot with "Say It Isn't So"

And here's Bobby & Cissy dancing to "Let's Face The Music And Dance"

Next is Anacani with "It's a Lovely Day Today"....

....and for some great dance music, here's Myron Floren at the PAN accordian with Neil Levang on guitar with "You're Just In Love".

And as for next week....good news! It will be a brand-spanking-new episode titled "Songs of the South" with Ava Barber being the featured interview.

Can't wait to see that one....so until then, keep a song in your heart!

Another one of my Welk haikus

Today, this seventeen syllable masterpiece is about music maker Dick Kesner and his trusty Stradivarius violin.

Let's listen to Dick

play the Stradivarius

Music to my ears

Stars of the Welk Show come to Keppel

If you live in Salisbury, North Carolina; here's news of an upcoming Welk concert in this part of the Tar Heel State.

This one features Ava Barber.....

....and Bob Havens with his trombone.

They are playing at the Keppel Auditorium on the campus of Catawba College on Sunday, Februray 24th (birthday of yours truly!)

Here's a nice article about Ava, Bob and the upcoming concert from the Salisbury Post.

Jamie Corey's birthday

Today is Jamie Corey's birthday.

A lot of Welkies are probably saying...."Jamie who?" or "I don't remember anyone by that name on the Welk show!"

I'll fill in the blanks, she was a member of the music makers for just a season (1976-77)....hails from Indianapolis and worked mostly in the orgainzation's youth training program. She mostly did group choral numbers, and had one solo number "I Got Rhythm" from the "Springtime" episode in '77.

And here's a birthday haiku for Ms. Corey....you can't find stuff like this anywhere else on the web.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Who's Jamie Corey

She's from Indy, sang for Welk

For about a year

Super Bowl, Haikus and Paczkis....oh my!

That was one exciting Super Bowl....for once, and congratulations to the New York Giants for winning it all!

The commercials were.....meh....commercials, although the Coke ad featuring the Underdog, Stewie and Charlie Brown parade floats was cute, but seriously....how the hell does Chuck get the bottle of Coke? He has no superpowers to speak of!

Now something long overdue, one of my trademark Welk hakius....this one is a Natalie Nevins.

Natalie Nevins

Singer, Flautist and can bake

Blueberry Muffins

And tomorrow is Paczki Day, I'll be gettin' up North to Hamtramck for those pastry delights....and look for some cool vinyl records too, weather permitting.

A timely show about Time

This episode, a salute to time, first aired on April 29, 1967....here's the gang with the opening number, "My Grandfather's Clock"

Here's Natalie Nevins in the solo spot with "Love's Old Sweet Song"

She really looks nice with her hair done that way, I just wish the show's producers and the Maestro would allow Natalie to have her hair down more often.

Now here's Jack Imel with Jo Ann Castle, Charlie Parlato and Bob Lido at the supermarket with "Now's The Time To Fall In Love".

Who knew that Double Coupon day was this fun?

It's an invasion of the Andy Capps!

No, it's the Lennon Sisters with the breezy sixties hit "Georgy Girl".

And of course, the gang asking everybody for just "Five Minutes More".

And it feels great to get back online....just in the nick of time!

Next week, it's a salute to Irving Berlin from 1973....so take care y'all!

Last Dance by Bobby & Elaine

Now that things are back to normal, here's a YouTube gem....Bobby Burgess & Elaine Balden getting their disco on to Donna Summer's hit "Last Dance" performed by the Champagne Music Makers.

Now that is what I call Hot Stuff!

Yeehaw....I'm back in business!

Our nation's long nightmare....the nation of Welk Musical Family.com that is....is finally over, I finally ditched that pile-o-crap I call my PC and got myself a new one!

And this baby is a Gateway....lots of space and much faster too.

I got some catching up to do, plus I'll be back tommorrow with a rundown of this week's Welk episode.

And just in time for the Super Bowl too!