Today is the last day of August....and it also means it's Big Tiny Little's birthday today! Having been with Welk from it's national TV debut in 1955 to 1959, his way at the ivories has earned him millions of fans nationwide as well as memories.Happy Birthday Tiny! Let's us all get down to that Birthday Cake Rag!
Jo Ann had a very busy show, she was featured in two numbers; "Minnie The Mermaid" with Larry Hooper and "Throughly Modern Millie" with both times has her playing the piano with such pizazz!
Dick Dale and his cast of Champagne folk singers sang "My True Carrie Love" which had an awesome beat to it. The orchestra did an outstanding job with instrumentals such as "Say It With Music" and "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" in champagne style of course.
This show was a landmark episode, it was Cissy King's first teamed as Bobby Burgess' dancing partner and they gave the Welk fans a taste of what's to come with "Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me"...a great start to a great duo I must say. Another first was Lynn Anderson, the legendary country singer, making her Welk show debut with "If I Kiss You, Will You Go Away?" which was very nice. And there was Bob Ralston at the piano with a very listenable "When My Dreamboat Comes Home". There's Natalie Nevins teaming up with Jimmy Roberts singing a medely of songs titled "Why Do I Love You?" and "Cuddle Up a Little Closer" each sung beautifully and pleasant.
Don't they make a nice couple?
We also had Aladdin and Bob Lido as policemen with an ode to Chicago singing "My Kind Of Town", it was hilarious that you had Aladdin expressing his allegiances to the White Sox and Lido with the Cubs....betcha which one is the happier Chicago baseball fan?
And so the show ends with Frank Scott leading the gang on the almighty harpischord with "Crusing Down The River", such sounds and excitement kinda makes me wish summer can go on forever.
Great show this week....next week is the wrapup of the 2005-2006 Welk schedule. I won't be able to provide a rundown....I am off to attend a wedding in Philadelphia.
Stay safe, stay bubbly and keep a song in your heart!
Today by the way is August 23rd....it's first trumpet player's Mickey McMahan's birthday! From 1967 to 1982, this native of Phoenix, AZ has put the pizazz in the Welk orchestra's brass section by leading his mates with his superb artistry with the trumpet. He still on occasion performs live at night clubs and big bands around his Los Angeles home.
The Lennon Sisters were big hits in their Big Apple showing, singing "Sugar Moon"...plus since the show aired on August 2, 1958, it was Kathy Lennon's 15th birthday with everyone singing along wishing her birthday greetings! Champagne Lady Alice Lon was terrfic with her number "More Than You Know" plus great orchestral pieces such as "Row, Row, Row", "It Must Be True" and a medley of Stephen Foster songs got the New Yorkers dancing on bubbles.
Aladdin was busy singing "Volare" plus teamed up with Larry Hooper, Bob Lido, Big Tiny and Jack Martin for "Yakety Yak", one of my favorite 1950s rock songs made famous by The Coasters. The male chorus, including Bob Lido, all joined in for the Beer Barrell Polka which was fun, musical and hilarious. Larry Dean sang " On The Street Where You Live" and Maurice Pearson sang "Galway Bay" and both numbers were well done. 
That was the show in a nutshell, Jimmy Roberts and Alice wrapped it all up with "Goodnight Ladies" with Larry Hooper making sure that everyone knew that "Dodge Had A Goodtime Too". It was a fun and nostalgic trip back to the heydays of the 1950s so take care til' next week!
I do believe on many PBS stations, they will air "Vacation Songs" from August 1967 with wraps by Jo Ann Castle, it's a repeat but lets watch it again!
From 1976, Guy Hovis doing his impression of another very famous singer from his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi....one hound dog saluting another!
However, my local PBS station WGTE was still in pledge mode so I had to watch the show on the Bowling Green affliate WBGU.
It all started with gang transforming the Hollywood Palace, where the show and the 1976-77 season was taped, into a country farm singing "Take Me Home Country Roads", made famous by John Denver and made into West Virginia's "unofficial" state song. There were also terrific instrumentals by the band with "Gentle On My Mind" and "Wabash Cannonball". Tom Netherton had a terrific solo number with "Make The World Go Away" and Anacani, with help from the boys in the band, did a nice rendition of "Release Me".
And here's our country gal Ava Barber, who also hosted the show's wraparounds, singing one of her smash hits "Waiting At The End Of Your Run", notice that guitarists Richard Maloof and Neil Levang are looking really fly....country style!
Gail, Sandi & Mary Lou....the same ladies who opened the show above, did a really attractive number made famous by Roy Acuff titled "Oh Lonesome Me" and there's the Semonski Sisters, minus older sister Diane, singing "Sugartime". There was also one of my favorite numbers of the show, "Bonaparte's Retreat" sung by Tanya with Arthur Duncan dancing in the middle of the song....that was nice indeed!
Ken Delo was "Walkin' The Floor" over everyone, Dick Dale sang a little "Oh Shenandoah" and what country show wouldn't be complete without a square dance....only this time, it had a disco beat!
Now that's totally 70s! Let's see Donny & Marie top that!
It was a fun show, originally aired on April 30, 1977. The show served as Tanya Falan's swan song....she left after nine glorious years on the show plus it would be the last Welk show taped at the ABC facilites for two years....they would tape at CBS Television City from 1977 to 1979.
See you all next week....and don't forget to stay cool!
If there's ever the ideal role model for all jazz trombonists all over the world, Bob Havens of Quincy, Illinois has to be the best candidate.
Here we have Charlie Parlato as a trash collector trying to break bread with Jo Ann Castle in "Go Ahead Charlie" with backing vocals by The Blenders. We also hear from Jo Ann with her at the piano playing "Frankie and Johnny" with accompaning guitar work by both Buddy Merrill and Neil Levang. Jimmy Roberts also did double duty on the show, first with a great solo in "Red River Valley" and then teamed up with Natalie Nevins in a duet of "Til There Was You". And of course, there was the spiffy work of the orchestra with great instrumentals such as "Up A Lazy River" and "Everbody's Somebody's Fool".
We also heard from Larry Hooper with his ever popular "Minnie The Mermaid" plus Aladdin and Bob Lido did their job "Paddlin' Madeline Home" with "Madeline" played by Jo Ann Castle. And what episode would not be complete without Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylan dancing to the Going Home Waltz.
The Lennon Sisters were quite busy, here with Dick Dale singing "Marianne" and were featured in such pleasant numbers such as "Tumbling Tumbleweed" and providing backing vocals for Joe Feeney in a rather upbeat version of "Goodnight Irene" which was orginally written and sung by the legendary musician Leadbelly.
It was a pleasant show, Peggy Lennon did a good job hosting...and we Welk fans enjoyed watching her in action. Just remember as the summer continues on...don't forget to stay cool and keep a song in your heart!
Nice picture eh? I did hear that the featured Welk episode this week was Summer Sounds from 1966...I'll have a review up shortly.
Sad news here in Champagne Land, I found out online that Maxine Grey, who was Lawrence Welk's original Champagne Lady from the mid 1930s passed on less than a month ago, she was 92.
You can read more about it from an article courtesy of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, just CLICK HERE FOR THE OBITUARY
Born in the Greater Los Angeles area (actually the San Fernando Valley) as Sandi Jensen....she's one of five children to parents Mary & Garth Jensen. Sandi got her start as a singer when at age five appeared on Art Linketter's "House Party" program, and then as a teenager enrolled in Brigham Young University where she met fellow student Sally Flynn in the school's Program Bureau entertainment department. The two became friends, and singing partners throughout school and other points along the way before joining Lawrence Welk's show in 1968, and as one would say....the rest in history.
From 1968 to 1980, Sandi was an integral part of the show....singing with Sally and later with Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger to form "The Trio" of Sandi, Gail and Mary Lou, which mesmerized viewers (mostly guys) with sweet three part harmonies just like fellow all girl trios like the Andrews & McGuire Sisters and the Supremes. She also had a few solo numbers as well....her most popular was her rendition of the Perry Como song, "And I Love You So".
Sandi married her college sweetheart Brent Griffiths in January 1969, they have since been the parents of seven children and numerous grandchildren. While husband Brent runs a succesful local carpet business....Sandi has completed her Bachelors Degree from BYU and is currently working on her Masters from the same school. Both are also avid travelers, globe hopping around the world to such locales such as South America, Austraila, Ireland, France and the South Pacific just to name a few. If you ever have the time, check out BYU Radio on the 'net...check the day's programming schedule and take a listen....you can listen to Sandi singing one of her songs quite often, it's worth the stream.
Happy Birthday Sandi.....we Welk fans look forward to many more years of your sweet harmonies and sweet personality!
Here's the trio of Sandi Griffiths, Sally Flynn and Andra Willis bringing back memories of the Andrews Sisters with "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen"...and they happened to sound and look great in the process. The band also played another Andrews Sisters' hit, "The Pennsylvania Polka". We also heard from Dick Dale in the solo spotlight with "Linda" and music makers Kenny Trimble, Charlie Parlato and Larry Hooper paying homage to the Guy Lombardo Trio with "Boo Hoo".
Here's Norman Bailey playing his ever popular trumpet solo, "Sugar Blues" which is always music to my ears. I also enjoyed Tanya Falan with her solo number, "Sentimental Journey", Natalie Nevins and Joe Feeney teaming up for "Sweetheart" and great instrumentals by the band such as Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball".
Like I mentioned earlier, Bobby Burgess & Cissy King got quite a workout on the show....dancing to the Pennsylvania Polka which was the opening number plus a medley of great dances from the 1920s to present day 1969...which chronicled Lawrence's career in music to date. Watch for their closing number doing a lil' soul....it's pure sixties!
It was a terrific show....Andra Willis also did a great job with a solo number titled "Oh Johnny" and Norma Zimmer saluted Kate Smith at the end of the show with "God Bless America".
In the hot seat tonight was Bob Ralston, who was interviewed by our Mary Lou Metzger. He talked about his mother, who was the original voice of Minnie Mouse for Walt Disney Studios....plus the fact in addition to playing the piano and organ...can also play the trombone and also learned to speak sixteen different languages!
That puts a capper of all the new episodes for this season...from this point on (until September 2007 I guess)....its all reruns from here but they still make for good viewing on Saturday Nights so keep watching and keep supporting your local public television station!
And by the way....Hee Haw is on this weekend on CMT, keep an eye out for the Aldridge Sisters, whom they appeared on one of the episodes....you'll never know!
The native of Ontario, Oregon first started performing on a regular basis when she enrolled at Brigham Young University in 1964, in the school's Program Bureau division where she met best friend and future castmate Sandi Griffiths. Over the next four years, in addition to their studies, the duo we know of as Sandi & Sally would tour Vietnam as part of the USO tour, played the Horseshoe at Disneyland, and played Las Vegas as Jack Jones' opening act, but it was in 1968 that America really got to know Sally when the girls auditioned and won permanent roles on the show.
From 1968 until 1972, Sally was an important and very popular part of the Welk show....singing with Sandi in the duo, participating in many of the group's choral numbers and had her own solo number, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". In 1974, she married the show's country singer Clay Hart, which emarked her in a new phase of her life and career as a wife and part of a husband and wife singing act (just like Guy & Ralna)...a partnership that has lasted to this very day! It includes co-hosting a home decorating show with Clay on TNN, commercials and concerts opening for celebrities such as Red Skelton and touring as part of the Forever Blowing Bubbles troupe of Welk show alumni.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALLY....we look forward to many more years of singing, laughs and wunnerful friendship all of us have enjoyed.
Here's Arthur Duncan dancing at the Chinese Theatre to the tune of "Happy Feet", notice the ladies here with their mini skirts?
No surprise why this is my favorite period of the Lawrence Welk Show.
There were many great numbers, such as Guy Hovis' solo of "Go Away Little Girl", Sandi & Sally's enchanting "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" and Dick Dale tellin' a "Whale Of A Tale". We also were treated to a little "Jalisco" from Myron Floren and his squeezebox plus Clay Hart singing Gene Autry's signature tune "Back In The Saddle".
We also heard the orchestra play "Sam's Song" in which the Sam featured was longtime Mayor of Los Angeles Sam Yorty, who in addition to politics was also a pretty decent musician. Tanya Falan, always a favorite of the cameras, sang "Rainy Days and Mondays" made famous by the Carpenters. How ironic that LA these days could use some rainy days due to the oppressive heatwave they're going through.
Still, it was a fantasic episode in my opinion. Bob Havens finished it all up on his trombone with "Blue Skies" featuring the cast for vocal support.
I almost forgot, there was Mary Lou Metzger in the solo spotlight as Shirley Temple singing "On The Good Ship Lollipop", and speaking of short skirts, Mary Lou's costume had to take first place as the SHORTEST!
Speaking of Mary Lou, going to her interview...it was Sandi Griffiths in this week's hot seat. Sandi talked about how she started singing as a tot....appearing on Art Linkletter's show "House Party" and her days in college meeting Sally Flynn and the duo singing in Vietnam, Disneyland and Las Vegas before joing the music makers.
Sandi also brushed up on her family, she and husband Brent have been married for 37 years now and she's working on her masters from BYU. She has also been working on genealogy as well, tracing her family's history and roots...they lead back to Ireland if you're wondering.
Next week is another new one, the final new episode of this season. I'll be tuned in like everyone else and once over, I'll provide my two cents worth.
Stay safe everyone....and keep a song in your heart!
SHEILA ALDRIDGE...the very talented and pretty singer who makes up one half of the Aldridge Sisters.
Growing up in Knoxville, TN....She (as friends and family like to call her), along with older sister Sherry got their chops singing in local venues around the Smoky Mountain region when fate pointed them to audition for Lawrence Welk which led them to a five year stint on the show, paired with the Otwell Twins of Tulia, TX from 1977 to 1982.
Sheila has been busy herself, in addition to performing with Sherry in the sister act, she also did some acting appearing in TV shows such as "Down To Earth" on TBS and movies like "Bed and Breakfast".
Once married to comedian Roger Behr, she now lives in Hendersonville, TN with her current husband Chris Costa, who is a singer/musician himself. They both have an act together which performs all over Nashville.
Let us wish Sheila Aldridge a very very happy birthday today!
This is a outside shot of the American Music Theatre located in Lancaster, PA; home of Saturday's concert with the Welk stars.It's all here! Jo Ann Castle, Anacani, Arthur Duncan and Guy & Ralna. Here's the link below to see the pictures and then some!
WELK STARS IN PENNSYLVANIA'S AMISH COUNTRY
It's titled "Music Music" from 1958....a black & white classic! Here's Larry Hooper with Pete Fountain at clarinet playing "Nobody's Sweetheart"....just a few of the great numbers in this show!
The maestro opened the show with the music makers playing "Bambelina" plus we were treated to a little "Dill Pickle Rag" by Big Tiny Little at piano. The Lennon Sisters were in two numbers tonight, first was "Melody D'Amour" and the humorous "Fernando the Bull" with Jack Imel and Jack Martin as Fernando.
There's also legendary Champagne Lady Alice Lon being busy tonight, first with "Singin' In The Rain" and teamed up with Rocky Rockwell for a little "Town And Country Polka". They make a nice couple, don't they?
We also had Lawrence in a tag dance with the ladies while the band played some of the sweetest champagne music this side of heaven...it was so sweet that guitarist wonderwhiz Buddy Merrill wanted a piece of the action by having his own tag dance with some pretty girls in the audience!
Yes, he can dance in addition to guitarist and singer, Buddy is a real triple threat in the grandest tradition of entertainment.
Violinist Dick Kesner played a little Brahms Lullaby and of course Jack Martin from the reed section decided to pop on out and sing "Somebody Stole My Gal".
And this week, Mary Lou Metzger interviewed Big Tiny Little from tonight's broadcast. He talked about his beginnings in the music industry, his musical father Tiny Little and memories from his tenure on the Welk show, in which he served from 1955 to 1959.
It was a nice little show, a great chance to visit old friends from years gone by, next week is a musical salute to Los Angeles...should be a good one!
