Happy Easter!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Six Degrees of Gail Farrell
You all know about the world famous Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game based on the small world phenomenon that any actor or famous person can be linked to the famous actor....in six degrees or less.
We at Welk Musical Family thought we try that six degrees concept here using one of our music makers.
Here, we'll try to link Gail Farrell
We at Welk Musical Family thought we try that six degrees concept here using one of our music makers.
Here, we'll try to link Gail Farrell
....with teen pop sensations The Jonas Brothers
....and away we go!
1. Gail Farrell appeared on five episodes of the Match Game in 1980 with actor-singer-songwriter Paul Williams on the panel
2. The same Paul Williams appeared in the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit where he played Little Enos Burdette that starred Burt Reynolds cast as the Bandit
3. Later Reynolds starred in the CBS sitcom Evening Shade with Charles Durning....
4. While Durning appeared in the 2004 movie Death and Texas with Billy Ray Cyrus
5. ....who happens to be the father of Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
6. And both Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers are stars on the Disney Channel!
It is a small world after all......
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Peggy Lennon's birthday
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
A brief history of American dance
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Saturday, April 04, 2009
The day the champagne music was corked....for now
This week's news of the long running soap opera Guiding Light's cancellation brought forth alot of parallels with the Lawrence Welk Show. It kinda reminded many of the day when word came 38 years ago when ABC cancelled the Welk Show.
So on September 11, 1971....the Lawrence Welk Show debuted in it's syndication form, in more than 200 stations in the US and Canada, where it would thrive for eleven more years.
Maybe Guiding Light can have that same happy ending?
The date was March 19, 1971....the Maestro was in the middle of a golf game at his Escondido resort when he was summoned to a phone call. It was reporter Rick DuBrow from UPI asking Lawrence how he felt that his show was cancelled. His response, according to the TV Treasures documentary was he was disappointed, but more so for his Musical Family than for himself.
Not long after, Welk's cancellation made headlines across the country
And the response from the public was swift.....
Side note: This was during the time in television when networks purged shows from their prime time schedules that were deemed too rural and slanted mostly towards older demographics (examples included The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Ed Sullivan and Mayberry RFD), in other words....it was younger, more sophiscated demographics that advertisers and networks crave.
The ABC network was deluged with millions of calls to their switchboards, fans protesting the cancellation. The Welk offices in Santa Monica received over one million pieces of mail expressing sorry and support from their fans.
That led Lawrence that his show can go on, through syndication....thanks to an FCC rule that networks had to give one hour of programming to local stations, and along with the support of his sponsors led to oppurtunity!
So on September 11, 1971....the Lawrence Welk Show debuted in it's syndication form, in more than 200 stations in the US and Canada, where it would thrive for eleven more years.
Maybe Guiding Light can have that same happy ending?
Friday, April 03, 2009
A Tanya is with the Fellas in the Band haiku
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Turn off the Guiding Light, the party's over
I never watched daytime soaps, mainly because One, I'm usually at school or at work...Two, I prefer game shows or watching something else and Three, soap operas are not my thing.
That being said, I heard that CBS is cancelling Guiding Light after 72 years on radio and television combined.
That being said, I heard that CBS is cancelling Guiding Light after 72 years on radio and television combined.
That's more seasons than the Lawrence Welk Show has been on, and get this....when the soap first debuted on NBC radio as a 15-minute program, the Maestro was still doing one-nighters with his band across the Midwest.
And Champagne Music would not be formed until a year later.....wow
Granted I never watched the soap, I have to appreciate and admire it's longevity and popularity...on the same level as the Welk Show.
I wonder if any of the Music Makers are fans of Guiding Light?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Cover Me
From all the years watching the Welk show, the Music Makers have done thousands of tunes done in champagne style.
They also did covers of very popular pop and rock songs! Here's a few for example....
Joy To The World (Three Dog Night) by Gail and the fellas
Rock Around The Clock (Bill Haley and the Comets) by the band and singers
Land of a Thousand Dances (Wilson Pickett) danced by Bobby and Elaine
I Say a Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick) by Tanya Falan
and the grand-daddy of them all.....
One Toke Over The Line (Brewer & Shipley) by Gail and Dale
They also did covers of very popular pop and rock songs! Here's a few for example....
Joy To The World (Three Dog Night) by Gail and the fellas
Rock Around The Clock (Bill Haley and the Comets) by the band and singers
Land of a Thousand Dances (Wilson Pickett) danced by Bobby and Elaine
I Say a Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick) by Tanya Falan
and the grand-daddy of them all.....
One Toke Over The Line (Brewer & Shipley) by Gail and Dale
Monday, March 30, 2009
Get On That Dance Floor
Normally, Mondays are not one of my favorite days of the week.
But that does change when Dancing With The Stars is on!
But that does change when Dancing With The Stars is on!
So far, the judges have been pretty stiff with the dancers....handing out fours and fives along with the usual highs of nines and tens.
Right now, watching Steve-O and Lacey Schwimmer (rawrr....) attempt to do the Lindy Hop and what I said about those fives and fours, Steve Wozinak (Computer nerds like myself know who he is) has been the butt end of those scores, just plain cannot dance to save his life.
Funny moment of the night, Bergeron (Tom that is) made a joke at co-host Sam Harris' cold saying she sounded like Wilford Brimley.
One thing is for sure, you can bet our favorite dancing couple of Cissy and Bobby if they competed on the show, will get tens everytime!
But I'll settle for them guesting on the Stars of Dance segment, and give the two Steves, Holly Madison and Lawrence Taylor some pointers too....
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Caption This!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
And now....the results of my poll
What did you like the most about "Welk Stars, Through The Years?"
Out of 41 votes cast.....63% (26 votes) loved the pictures, musical numbers and mini bios of the Champagne Music Makers!
21% (9 votes) loved Mary Lou Metzger hosting....
And the rest.....7% (3 votes) liked the interviews, 4% (2 votes) dug the pledge breaks and 2% (1 vote) enjoyed the fact the show was broadcast in HD.
I'll be taking a hiatus on polls for a while, I need new ideas for questions.
Thanks for voting, and keep a song in your heart.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Salute to Roses haiku
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Charlotte and her cello
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Caption This!
Around the World in eighty outfits
From 1971's "The World" episode....let us see what the kids are wearing
And that concludes our trip around the world.
Sally is Scotland, Ken is England....
I'm not sure what country Jimmy is representing, but I do know Mary Lou is representing Spain
Sandi and Joe are part of Ireland's contigent....
The Hotsy Totsy Boys are Italy!
And that concludes our trip around the world.
Sally knows how to wear a kilt (wolf whistles in Scottish)
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