Salute to Fred Astaire

Time to put on your top hat and tails along with your dancing shoes because this week, the Champagne Music makers pay tribute to Fred Astaire!

Here's some of the highlights from the show.....

Gail and Ava team up while wearing dresses combining Ol' Bavaria and Big City Sophistication....

Jack Imel plays with his marimbas....

......and George Cates plays with his baton.

SALUTE TO FRED ASTAIRE - September 27, 1980

1. IT'S S'WONDERFUL - Sheila, Sherry, Anacani, Gail, Kathie, Ava, Curt (Ramsey), Jimmy (Roberts), Ken, Jim, David, Roger, Joe
2. THE CARIOCA - danced by Bobby Burgess and Elaine Balden
3. A FINE ROMANCE - Guy Hovis
4. FLYING DOWN TO RIO - Anacani
5. I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO CHANGE MY PLAN - the orchestra

6. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Tom Netherton with Bob Ralston at piano
7. I LOVE A PIANO - Ava Barber and Gail Farrell also on piano
8. LIMEHOUSE BLUES - Jack Imel and his marimbas
9. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT - Jim Turner and his guitar
10. SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE - the orchestra

11. DANCING IN THE DARK - the orchestra conducted by George Cates
12. HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCCA MORRA? - Joe Feeney with Bob Ralston on Hammond Organ
13. BLUE SKIES - Bob Havens on trombone and Arthur Duncan dancing
14. THREE LITTLE WORDS - Sheila and Sherry Aldridge with David and Roger Otwell

15. I GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM - the orchestra
16. YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC - Kathie Sullivan with Myron Floren on accordion
17. CHEEK TO CHEEK - Ken Delo
18. I LOVE LOUISA - Myron Floren on accordion with Ava, Kathie, Gail, Sherry, Anacani, Sheila, Joe, Roger, David, Jim, Guy and Jimmy along with Bobby and Elaine dancing

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Both Ralna English and Mary Lou Metzger do not appear in this episode.

I knew that around the time of taping (mid-1980) that Ralna's absence was attributed to personal issues going through, but I was surprised that Mary Lou also didn't appear. This is one of the very rare occasions during her tenure that happened.

Still, this week's episode was a fun, pleasant and fitting salute to one of Hollywood's greatest song-and-dance men like Fred Astaire. They just don't have talent and class today like they did back then.

Until next time, keep a song in your heart and may the days of your lives be s'wonderful!

Salute to Fred Astaire

Ava Barber interview on WBIR

Catching up with Ava Barber, on her life, career, etc courtesy of Knoxville's NBC affiliate WBIR.

Just click below on the link to watch the full interview!

CATCHING UP WITH AVA BARBER

Ava Barber interview on WBIR

Songs From The Movies

Lights! Camera! Action!

This week, episode number two of the 2011-12 season salutes the songs from Hollywood movies.

Here are some of the highlights from the show.....

Homesteaders Charlie Parlato and Ava Barber, after a major horse buggy accident, contact AAA for roadside assistance.

Arthur Duncan takes one small step for man, and one giant step into a Moon Pie....

....and the Music Makers prepare for the remnants of Hurricane Irene.

SONGS FROM THE MOVIES - March 29, 1980

1. HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES) - Arthur, Sandi, Jimmy, Ken, Gail, Kathie, Elaine, Mary Lou, Bobby, Tom, Ava, Sheila, Sherry, Jim, Curt, Roger and David
2. SOUTH AMERICA, TAKE IT AWAY - Anacani
3. NOCTURNE IN E FLAT - Bob Ralston on piano
4. SOMEWHERE MY LOVE - Guy Hovis and Ralna English
5. MY KIND OF TOWN (CHICAGO IS) - Ken Delo

 
6. NEVER ON SUNDAY - Myron Floren on accordion
7. TUMBLIN' TUMBLEWEEDS - Ava Barber with Charlie Parlato
8. THE GREEN LEAVES OF SUMMER - Jim Turner
9. THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER - The orchestra
10. GONE WITH THE WIND - Kathie, Sherry, Gail, Ralna, Sandi, Sheila, Mary Lou, David, Roger, Jim, Ken, Guy and the orchestra with George Cates conducting

11. JEAN - Tom Netherton
12. HAVA NAGILA - danced by Bobby Burgess and Elaine Balden
13. EVERYBODY'S TALKIN' - Sheila and Sherry Aldridge & David and Roger Otwell
14. OLD DEVIL MOON - danced by Arthur Duncan
15. THE WAY WE WERE - Kathie Sullivan with Joe Livoti on violin

16. BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Gail Farrell, Sandi Griffiths & Mary Lou Metzger
17. MORE (THEME FROM MONDO CANE) - Jimmy Roberts
18. SINGING IN THE RAIN - Sheila, Sherry, Gail, Anacani, Sandi, Curt, Jim, Ken, Roger and David with dancing by Elaine, Bobby, Mary Lou and Jack.

I thought it was a fine episode, brings back memories of the movies when they were actually good.

That goes for the songs too....

Until next time, keep a song in your heart and stay away from those casting couches!

Songs From The Movies

Hit Songs From Broadway '74

Here's some of the highlights from this week's episode....

Sandi, Mary Lou and Gail are at the end of their rope.....

Anacani asks Henry Cuesta for extra change in order to use the studio's snack machine.....

Ava Barber plays with Roger Sullivan's cheeks for good luck.....

And the Musical Family would not touch the buffet table with a ten foot pole.

Must be the bean dip everyone's talking about

Hit Songs From Broadway '74

Musical Family Hair of the Week

Our country gal Ava Barber shows off her new perm....

Musical Family Hair of the Week

Top Songs From Broadway Shows

Hello again everybody, this is Ted Husing with another trip down the Great White Way....

Actually, this is just your friendly blogmaster doing his lame impression of Mr. Husing, the famous announcer of radio and newsreels of the 1930s and 40s who coined the term "Great White Way" for Broadway.

I have no idea why it was called that, but one thing is for sure, we'll salute some of the best Broadway showtunes in this week's Welk episode and as ol' Ted would say, "It's OK Mr. Doorman, we have special permission to watch and waiter a ringside table please!"

And on with the show!

Here's Mary Lou pondering about what the critics think of her performance in "The Music Man".....

George Cates has got Boogie Fever with Anacani.....

....and seconds after this musical number, a food fight breaks out at the catering table.

TOP SONGS FROM BROADWAY SHOWS - September 21, 1974

1. ON A WONDERFUL DAY LIKE TODAY - Ken, Jimmy, Tom, Bobby, Gail, Tanya, Mary Lou & Cissy
2. AS LONG AS HE NEARS ME - the Orchestra
3. I CONFESSED TO THE BREEZE - Guy Hovis & Ralna English
4. TILL THERE WAS YOU - Norma Zimmer
5. DANCING IN THE DARK - danced by Bobby Burgess & Cissy King

  
6. CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT' MAN - Tanya Falan with Bob Smale at the piano
7. I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - Sandi Griffiths, Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger
8. WUNDERBAR - Tanya, Dick (Dale), Anacani, Bobby, Norma, Jimmy (Roberts), Ava, Joe, Ralna, Guy with Cissy dancing with Lawrence
9. THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM - Ken Delo

 
10. MEDLEY OF SONGS FROM "ROBERTA" - the Orchestra with George Cates conducting
11. TEA FOR TWO - sung in Spanish by Anacani
12. HELLO! DOLLY! - danced by Arthur Duncan
13. ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE - Tom Netherton

   
14. BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS - trumpet section of Johnny Zell, Mickey McMahan, Laroon Holt and Charlie Parlato
15. A BUSHEL AND A PECK - Ava Barber and her husband Roger Sullivan on drums
16. SUNRISE, SUNSET - Joe Feeney
17. SHALL WE DANCE? - Myron Floren on accordion with vocals by Jimmy, Norma, Cissy, Bobby, Guy, Ralna, Ken, Tom, Mary Lou, Gail, Sandi, Dick, Tanya and Larry Hooper

We got to see Ava Barber sing a Broadway song for the first time, since she had been with the show for a few months at the time, and "Bushel and a Peck" was very cute and lively, especially when she's joined by her husband Roger Sullivan on the drums.

Mary Lou hosted tonight's show, and as for the Music Man reference, she was actually in that famous Meredith Wilson play. When she was a kid, she played Amaryllis in the National Touring Company's production and before that was in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible".

So you can see why Mary Lou has a fondness for the music of Broadway and so do we!

So until next week, keep a song in your heart and as Ted Husing would say "Song long from the Great White Way."

Top Songs From Broadway Shows

This episode is the Cat's Pajamas

Here are the Music Makers with a salute to the Roaring Twenties

First we have Sandi, Gail and Mary Lou getting their wiggle on with "Baby Face"

Next, it's Mary Lou and Jack proving it's the berries with "Crazy Rhythm"

And Norma Zimmer is putting on the Ritz singing "Among My Souviners"

You'll never get the bum's rush when these boys play "The Sheik of Araby"

....not to mention when Ava Barber sings "I Cried For You", you always get the Real McCoy

All this, under the guidance of the Big Cheese himself.

Pardon me, I gotta go twenty three skidoo.

This episode is the Cat's Pajamas

Ava Barber and Clay Hart

We've paired these two together to sing....

Wonder what the audience thinks?

Ava Barber and Clay Hart

Musical Family Deep Thoughts #1

Ever wondered what the Champagne Music Makers are really thinking?

Musical Family Deep Thoughts #1

Hallowelkies - Monday Edition

Since today is the start of Halloween week, we at Welk Musical Family will present a Music Maker in costume every day this week until Halloween Saturday.

To get this started off, here's Ava Barber dressed as Pocahontas!

Hallowelkies - Monday Edition

Ava Barber's Country Birthday Hoedown

Y'all come and have some fun!

Happy Birthday Ava!

Ava Barber's Country Birthday Hoedown

Tribute to Big and Sweet Bands haiku

Since this week's show is the Tribute to the Big and Sweet Bands. here's a haiku I have written for this occasion.

Duke, Goodman and James

Big Band music followed by

a chat with Ava!

Tribute to Big and Sweet Bands haiku