A Barbara Boylan haiku

Today is dancer Barbara Boylan's birthday, and here's a nice haiku I have written for this occasion

She can dance the waltz

with grace and perfect beauty

Barbara has the moves

Happy Birthday Barbara!

A Barbara Boylan haiku

And the corn is high as an bandleader's eye....

"Green Acres is the place to be, farm living is the life for me...."

Just to quote Eddie Albert in the opening titles from the popular series "Green Acres". And for Lawrence Welk and his Musical Family, they share that same sentiment as they pay salute to life on the farm in this week's episode on public television.

Originally aired on December 11, 1971; here are the highlights from the show!

The gang opens the show with "The Surrey With the Fringe On Top" from the popular musical "Oklahoma!"

Here's our Rhode Island country boy Clay Hart singing "Greenfields".

Next, here's Sandi Griffiths and Sally Flynn (with their Jill St. John-as-Tiffany Case from Ian Fleming's "Diamonds Are Forever" hairdos) joined by Lawrence after singing "Tumbling Tumbleweeds"

And here's Dick Dale in the solo spot singing "Green, Green".....

Finally, the cast is back together singing that popular farm classic, "Ol' McDonald Had A Farm".

Other fine numbers in this mini Farm Aid of a show include Norma Zimmer's "The Wayward Wind", Mary Lou Metzger and Gail Farrell singing "A Bushel and a Peck", Jimmy Roberts singing an inspiring version of "What A Wonderful World", and the orchestra playing great instrumentals of "Goofus" and "By Heck".

I know many of you want me to say it was a corny show, but I will not....it was wunnerful, wunnerful!

Dick Dale was in the hot seat this week, and he talked about his moving back home to Algona, Iowa plus how he was hired by the Welk orchestra and his family.

In addition to a great show, a great interview as always conducted by Mary Lou!

Next week, it's a repeat titled "A Pretty Girl" from 1961....take care!

And the corn is high as an bandleader's eye....

Bernie Mac passes on

I know what you're thinking, what does comedian Bernie Mac has to do with Lawrence Welk?

To answer your question, he does have at least one Welk connection, granted he never appeared on the show itself (his comedy is not the Maestro's "Cup of Dish")...one of members of the musical family, Mary Lou Metzger, guest starred on "The Bernie Mac Show" a few years back in the episode "Fantasy Football" where she played a nun.

I'm guessing that many of you may have saw that episode....

Anyway, Bernie Mac died earlier today from pneumonia at age 50....that's the same illness Mr. Welk passed away from back in 1992.

Right now, heaven has a new comic, laughing until it hurts.

Bernie Mac passes on

Another fine Welk haiku

Looks like were headed to Santa Monica for this one...

Everyone get dressed

Let's dance at the Aragon

with Lawrence Welk's band

Another fine Welk haiku

Three Fantastic Flautists

Bob Davis, Orie Amodeo and Natalie Nevins

And they are playing "Lola" in that wunnerful Champagne style!

Three Fantastic Flautists

Which Welk suits you best?

From all the message boards, chat areas and Yahoo! Groups I have seen on the world wide web. There has been on issue that has been debated and sometimes divided America as of '08.

Which era of the Lawrence Welk Show you like the best?

Many fans prefer the black & white, Silver Champagne Specials of the 50s & 60s.....

.....and there's a many Welk fan who prefer the later seasons shown in color.

Personally, while I prefer the later shows (mainly because of it's pretty girl singers....hubba, hubba) I overall like both eras because each and every one of them are unique, different and has a charm of it's own.

The black & white shows show the versitility of the music makers, with musicians also doing double time as singers and dancers, thrown in a mix of quirky charm and innocence that is television of the 1950s, and to quote Bill O'Reilly, "WE'LL DO IT LIVE!"

That is the shows were broadcasted live.....plus the orchestral sounds of the band sounded great in the 1960s.

The color shows were mainly focused on the individual performer, were we got to know the Musical Family up close and personal and were able to showcase their many talents. Plus, with the shows broadcasted in color, the sets and wardrobe were wild and colorful as the musical numbers!

And did I mentioned that I liked the girls?

It really doesn't matter what era one likes best, the best gift of all is that fans like myself get the chance to watch Lawrence Welk work his magic.

After all, it's much way much better than most of the trife shown on television these days!

Which Welk suits you best?

Meanwhile....down at the flower shop

Steve Smith, just starting his first day.....meets Tanya and her "mother" Jo Ann Castle, who's also the boss.

Let's see what happens, thanks to the magic of YouTube!

Meanwhile....down at the flower shop

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

You can find all this on this week's Lawrence Welk Show episode titled, "Transportation". First aired on October 14, 1972....here are some of the highlights!

Here's Lawrence giving Tanya an assist during her song "Walkin' The Floor Over You".

Next, here's Bob Ralston at the piano playing "When My Dreamboat Comes Home"

Heading your way is Bobby and Cissy trying out one of those new fangled engine-powered vehicles in the number "Oh It's A Horseless Carriage"

And for your listening pleasure, here's Neil Levang with his guitar solo of "Wheels".

And finally, the cast is here to close the show for this week. Looks like they might have found Ameila Earhart's plane that vanished in the South Pacific!

See you all next week.....and keep a song in your heart!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Kathy Lennon and the Otwells

Anyone here saved enough to buy more birthday cake? We have three Musical Family birthdays to celebrate!

Here they are, and Happy Birthday kids!

Kathy Lennon.....

and the Otwell Twins; David and Roger.

And yes, here's not one, but two haikus I have prepared.....

Her name is Kathy

and she's the kind of person

we want as a friend

Roger and David

Two brothers that look alike

and they can sing great!

Kathy Lennon and the Otwells

Sandi Griffiths' birthday

Whenever the calendar reads the First of August, it can only mean one thing here in Cyber Champagne Land....

It is Sandi Griffiths birthday today! A joyous occassion that I will celebrate with one of my special haikus I have written.....hope she likes it.

Next up is Sandi

Mother of seven great kids

And she'll sing for you

Happy Birthday Sandi!

Sandi Griffiths' birthday

The benefits of attending a live Welk show

Of course, you get to see your idols live and in person....

.....and you get aluminum siding as a parting gift!

Just like this gentleman in addition to meeting Ken Delo.

The benefits of attending a live Welk show

Fun at the Movies

"Sir, there's no way you're over 18...."

Fun at the Movies

Blend in with Blender Steve Smith

I know that some of you out there who surf the World Wide Web are thinking one thing....are there any webpages of Steve Smith, male vocalist from the Welk Show I can visit?

Ladies, you're prayers have been answered! Time to go back to the wunnerful 1960s as my webpage has opened up a photo album featuring Steve himself, either as a soloist, as a member of the Blenders or as part of the Curt Ramsey Quintet.

And here's the link! STEVE SMITH: WELK ICON OF THE SIXTIES

Blend in with Blender Steve Smith

A Pete Lofthouse haiku

He played in Welk's trombone section from 1953 to 1965....

From the Great White North

Pete plays trombone for Lawrence

and a little bass!

A Pete Lofthouse haiku

Greetings from Lancaster!

My good friend Louis from Philadelphia sent me a few of his concert pictures from the Lawrence Welk concert held on July 12th at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Of course, I went there for a show two years ago....that's how I met him.

That's Louis to your right, smiling for the cameras with Ralna English, who was in the show with Guy Hovis, Anacani, Mary Lou Metzger and Ken Delo.

Just go to the Lancaster 2008 concert page to see more great photos like this, you'll love them!

Greetings from Lancaster!

What's going on here?

I wonder what Tanya just saw that shocked her?

Larry Hooper getting a shave from a Barbershop Quartet!

This should be fun......

What's going on here?

Tribute to the Big Bands

This week, Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers go black & white and pay salute to the big names of the Big Band era. Originally aired back on October 8, 1960....this episode is a great way to introduce the youngsters to those big band sounds!

First, here's Larry Hooper as Kay Kyser giving his musical lesson of the day to Ish Kabibble (actually it's Rocky Rockwell).

Next up is Jack Imel, as Ted Lewis, singing "When My Baby Smiles At Me".

Here's Buddy Hayes doing his impression of Cab Calloway as he sings Cab's famous hit "Minnie The Moocher".

And here's the boys in the band playing "The Woodchoppers Ball" to wrap up the show this week!

Other fine numbers include Peggy Lennon with "Oh Johnny", Larry Dean with "Got A Date With An Angel", and many more salute to big band giants such as Paul Whiteman, Spike Jones, Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Freddie Martin as well.

This was a great show, makes you feel like dancing!

Also, Rocky Rockwell was interviewed by Mary Lou this week, he talked about his first trumpet and playing in his first band, how he joined the Welk orchestra and a few great stories while on the road with the Music Makers.

See you all next week....and keep a song in your heart!

Tribute to the Big Bands

Janet Lennon on Password Plus

Here's another great moment in the history of television game shows, Janet Lennon of the Lennon Sisters going up against Monty Hall in a high stakes game of Password Plus

Emcee Allen Ludden brings out the next puzzle, Janet should get this one....

.....or does she?

Janet Lennon on Password Plus

And now, another one of my haikus

This time, I swear that it's a good one.....

It's raining outside

Dick Dale needs an umbrella

Thank you pretty girls!

And now, another one of my haikus

Welk programming ideas of mine

The Oklahoma Network released it's Welk programming schedule for 2008-09, which is all repeats and that's par for the course....which is after a season of new shows-repeats is followed by a season of all repeats.

So far, I haven't heard of any pledge week specials on the table. But I do have some creative Welk programming ideas that OETA and many individual public television station might consider which could mean more viewers and those pledge dollars!

For those week-long pledge drives, I can envision an all day Welk marathon where for an entire day (or half a day) PBS can show episodes of the Lawrence Welk Show back-to-back-to-back....and so forth.

Or maybe, for a whole week....nothing but Welk (mini-marathon) in Prime Time!

This one can be for either pledge weeks or normal broadcasting day, broadcast select episodes of the Welk show (those not on the regular OETA Saturday Night rotation) on Late Night, go up against the Tonight Show and the Late Show....or sometime after midnight, which should be popular with the college kids!

Or if you want just simple Welk pledge specials...here's a few suggestions,

Champagne on Broadway, it would take place in Branson where a dozen Welk stars pay salute to the songs and tunes from the Broadway stage.

Champagne Polka Party, where the Musical Family celebrate the show's contributions to polka music, can be held at Branson, Wurstfest, or Hamler's Summerfest.

Maybe than can do a clip show, something on the lines of the Welk show's most memorable and popular musical numbers....kinda like TV Treasures Part Two: Electric Boogaloo.

That's just a few suggestions of mine, any other ideas out there?

Welk programming ideas of mine

A Sally Flynn birthday haiku

Today is Sally Flynn's birthday, why don't we all celebrate with one of my well-written haikus in honor of her?

She's from BYU

sings with Sandi and Clay too

Give Sally a hand!

Happy Birthday Sally!

A Sally Flynn birthday haiku

Gail Farrell makes her Welk debut

Let's go back in time to another wunnerful milestone and memory!

The year was 1969, the Lawrence Welk Show opened it's 15th season on ABC that fall and on that same episode marked the debut of a young and talented girl from Durant, Oklahoma the Maestro discovered at a tag dance at the Hollywood Palladium, where his band played Saturday nights.

Of course, the girl I am referring to is Gail Farrell....

And here's Gail singing her debut number, made famous by Petula Clark titled "Downtown".

Gail Farrell makes her Welk debut

Separated at Birth?

Musical Supervisor George Cates

Doc Brown from Back To The Future

GREAT SCOTT!

My computer needs more jigawatts.....

Separated at Birth?

Salute to Bing Crosby

This week, it's a musical salute to Bing Crosby. Originally aired back on January 14, 1978, here are some of the highlights from the show.

Here's Anacani singing "South America, Take It Away!"

Next up, the trio of Gail, Sandi and Mary Lou, our stars from Tuesday's Bear Creek concert, going outta space with "Swinging On A Star"

Time to dance with Cissy and Bobby as the prove that "Anything Goes"....

On that week's show, Myron Floren is out on tour, so we meet Joey Schmidt for the first time after playing the "Happy Yodeler Polka"

And here's Ava Barber with a terrific rendition of "San Antonio Rose"

This week's show was excellent! Other great numbers included were "Moonlight Becomes You" by Tom Netherton, "True Love" by Norma Zimmer and Jimmy Roberts, "I'm An Old Cowhand" featuring Jack Imel and Mary Lou Metzger as well as "Mississippi Mud" featuring Larry Hooper and the Welk show's Barber Shop Quartet.

And being interviewed this week by Mary Lou is the lovely Anacani. She talked about part of her career when she was a star on Latin American television, her role in the movie "Zoot Suit" and her own family.

Plus, you can see Anacani as well as many other of your favorites in the Welk Stars Reunion Show held at Branson's Welk Resort the first week of September. I know that I am excited about it!

Until next week's show.....take care and stay cool everyone.

Salute to Bing Crosby