R.I.P Ken Delo (1938-2016)

R.I.P Ken Delo (1938-2016)

Champagne Covers #2

More fantastic of your favorite pop songs covered by your favorite Welk stars!

 

Champagne Covers #2

Ten Years of Welk Musical Family.com

It all began on a Winter's day.....March 3, 2003 to be exact.

For years, Welk fans clamored for a webpage that provided lots of pictures, fun facts and other stuff that was all things Lawrence Welk and his Musical Family.

So on that very day, a humble, little Yahoo Geocities page was launched, featuring nothing more than a few scanned pictures, some facts and plenty of hope and optimism.

Ten years later, Welk Musical Family.com has grown into a colossus, which included this blog, Welkgirls.com, a Twitter account and a successful Facebook page.

And all the while, the original webpage has become THE source for Welk fans to get their online Champagne Music fix.

In honor of this occasion, I made this 10th anniversary collage of the Maestro and the cast of hundreds that made up his Musical Family over the years, see if you can find anyone of your favorites!

 

Ten Years of Welk Musical Family.com

Out with 2012, in with 2013

Here's to the New Year. May she be wunnerful, wunnerful!

 

Out with 2012, in with 2013

Lawrence Welk on the Radio!

As someone who is in radio myself, what I am hearing these days they call entertainment is well....crap.

Thankfully, there is relief thanks to the internet and the words up from my buddy Peter.

Just visit Lawrence Welk Radio at Live365.com for 24/7 Champagne Music, it will keep a song in your heart and your car stereo happy!

Oh, and you're welcome.

Lawrence Welk on the Radio!

Cissy is "Singing In The Rain"

If you want to know what Cissy King has been up to these days, here's the scoop! She's appearing in Albuquerque Little Theater's production of "Singing In The Rain" which is running through this weekend. 

If you're anywhere near ABQ or anywhere in New Mexico, come see the show, I hear it is terrific! Here's Cissy on the local lifestyle show "New Mexico Style" on KASA-TV where she talks about the show and share memories of dancing on the Welk Show.

 

Cissy King is "Singin' in the Rain": kasa.com

Cissy is "Singing In The Rain"

Yet another Welk tumblr page is what America needs

This one is a pictorial salute to all the colorful clothes that Lawrence and his Musical Family worn on the show throughout the years.

Just click on the picture above to see what the fashion world is raving about!

Yet another Welk tumblr page is what America needs

A Welk Christmas from 1981

Thirty years ago, the last annual Christmas show (with the exception of specials afterward) of the series aired.

Here's a look back that should bring some holiday cheer and memories.

Keep a song in your heart, and be good little boys and girls 'cause Santa knows!

A Welk Christmas from 1981

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend

If the weather is good, take advantage of it....like the Musical Family.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend

What to wear when going on vacation

You have to dress accordingly, which depends on the place you're visiting....

For a trip to Niagara Falls, stay dry like Guy in a raincoat.

 
If you're heading down Acapulco way, dress like you're going to dance the Cha Cha....

But if you're going to the beach, and you want to avoid sunburn at all costs, this will do.

And finally, what goes better with the islands of Hawaii than those bold and colorful Hawaiian Shirts.

They're having a great time, wish you were here!

What to wear when going on vacation

Lawrence Welk Souvenir Program from 1966

If you went to a live Welk concert around 1966 to 1967, chances are you might have purchased this program as well.

It was also around this time the Welk show began broadcasting in glorious color!

Just click below to view the program in it's entirety. Get to know your favorite Music Makers and then some!

Lawrence Welk Souvenir Program from 1966

First post since the Rapture

Well, the supposed Rapture came and went and nothing happened...

Better luck next time doomsday sayers! In the meantime, I invite you to highlights from this week's Welk episode, Childhood Memories from 1972.

"Kevin, I'm going to teach you how to dance like Grandpa, just pretend that I am a little old lady..."

"I SAID GIVE ME A BIG PUSH.....TO THE MOON!"

"Bueller, Bueller....."

First post since the Rapture

Another Salute to Grammy Winning Songs

Well, this week all the public television stations will air the Salute to Grammy Winning Songs episode from '74.

Which leads me to today's post, if the Music Makers aired another episode of that same theme, which Grammy songs would they cover?

I think it would go something like this.....

1. UP UP AND AWAY (1968 Song of the Year) - Gail, Mary Lou, Cissy, Ralna, Dick, Ken, Bobby & Guy
2. THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS (1960 Song of the Year) - Clay Hart on guitar
3. SEXYBACK (2007 Best Dance Recording) - the orchestra
4. DON'T KNOW WHY (2003 Female Pop Vocal Performance) - Tanya Falan
5. JUST THE TWO OF US (1982 Best R&B Song) - Guy Hovis & Ralna English
6. FREEWAY OF LOVE (1986 Best R&B song) - orchestra featuring Henry Cuesta on clarinet solo
7. ME AND MRS. JONES (1973 Best Male R&B Vocal) - Jimmy Roberts
8. YOU OUGHTA KNOW (1996 Best Rock Song) - Sandi Griffiths, Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger
9. BLACK HOLE SUN (1995 Best Hard Rock Performance) - Myron Floren on accordion

11. BILLIE JEAN (1984 Best Male R&B Vocal) - Joe Feeney with Bob Ralston at the Thomas Organ
12. COPACABANA "AT THE COPA" (1978 Best Male Pop Performance) - Anacani
13. LIGHT MY FIRE (1969 Best Male Pop Performance) - Buddy Merrill and Neil Levang at guitar
14. IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW (1977 Best Pop Performance by a duo or group) - Norma Zimmer
15. JUMP JIVE AN' WAIL (1999 Best Pop Performance by a duo or group) - Bobby Burgess and Cissy King dancing
16. MIAMI VICE THEME (1986 Best Pop Instrumental) - the orchestra
17. WHEN I FALL IN LOVE (1997 Best Pop Collaboration with vocals) - Dick Dale and Gail Farrell
18. SHUT UP AND KISS ME (1995 Best Female Country Performance) - Ava Barber
19. NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE (1981 Best R&B Song) - Gail, Sandi, Mary Lou, Anacani, Cissy, Dick, Ken, Joe, Clay and Jimmy

 

Another Salute to Grammy Winning Songs

Happy Easter everyone

It's a nice day for strolling to church.....

Today's service will be inspirational.....

.....and afterwards, lets go hunting for Easter eggs amongst the tulips.

But make sure you tiptoe please.

Happy Easter everyone

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

Just singing in the rain

It's wet, cloudy and soggy around here.....might as well make music about it.

 

Just singing in the rain

Champagne Book of the Month Club: Recipes for Remembrance

Getting hungry?

Tired of the same old dishes for dinner?

Need new ideas to sink your teeth into?

All this can be answered with this book of the month for April!

First published in 1985, and again in 2002....this book is a collection of personal recipes from members of the Musical Family complied by Cinda Goold Redman (Michael Redman's wife) and Jo Berry. Jack Imel's Sugar Cream Pie, Kenny Trimble's Black-Eyed Peas, Dick Dale's Beef Ribs, Gail Farrell's Veal Piccata are one of many tasty dishes featured in the book.

And of course, the Maestro himself, Lawrence Welk has his famous Chicken N' Dumplin's recipe as well!

I guarantee that there is a recipe that suits anyone's different taste, and is a great way to spice up breakfast, lunch or dinner.

And overall, make this featured book of the month worth reading!

Champagne Book of the Month Club: Recipes for Remembrance

More Vintage Champagne from the Paley Center in pictures

These are from the Life.com webpage, and they are terrific!

Just click on the logo above to view them.

More Vintage Champagne from the Paley Center in pictures

And yes, they have just begun (to dance that is)

From the 1971 episode Musical History Makers, while Tanya is singing the Carpenters hit song "We've Only Just Begun", here are some shots of the Music Makers dancing in the background.

See if you can recognize any of them in the dim lighting....

And yes, they have just begun (to dance that is)

March Madness, Champagne Style

Here is what's going on in the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament from a Lawrence Welk Champagne Music Makers perspective....

Yesterday was a great day for both Sandi Griffiths, Mary Lou Metzger and Kathie Sullivan because their respective schools, BYU, Temple and Wisconsin all won.

And today, Tennessee plays Michigan. You can bet your bottom dollar that Jim Turner will be pulling for his beloved Vols to move on to the next round!

Best of luck to all the Musical Family alma maters, and who knows? Perhaps a National Championship is in the cards!

March Madness, Champagne Style