Turn your radio on to Lawrence Welk!

Back before television, Lawrence Welk and his Music Makers had their own radio program.

And like the TV show, it was broadcast nationwide sponsored by Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers.

My friend Kendrick found the following pair of rare radio clips of the Maestro and the Champagne Music Makers. For you younger fans, this should be a new experience, and for those who remember those days, I hope this trip down memory lane brings back memories.

The first clip is broadcast from Chicago's Trianon Ballroom



And this one is a live remote
 

Turn your radio on to Lawrence Welk!

Salute to the USA, the first syndicated Welk episode

Happy Labor Day everyone! This week's episode, Salute to the USA kicked off another season of Lawrence Welk on public television!

I must say it was wunnerful, wunnerful.....

SALUTE TO THE USA, COMPLETE RUNDOWN AND SONG LISTINGS

Salute to the USA, the first syndicated Welk episode

Caption This!

Featuring Larry Hooper and his friends....

You know what to do....click on the comments link below to add your caption!

Caption This!

New season starts tonight

Just a few thoughts as another season of Lawrence Welk on public television starts tonight...

Even though they're all repeats from last year, the weekly anticipation still stays stronger than ever!

Having Mary Lou Metzger and Bobby Burgess as co-hosts is working well, but in the future would like to see the return of the wraparounds by the Musical Family.

For once, maybe my station will finally show the Musical Tour of the USA from 1969, it ALWAYS gets pre-empted by those pesky pledge drives.

And speaking of pledge drives, will my station EVER show Marvin Hamlisch Presents: The Way We Were - The 70s? I say that because Guy & Ralna are in the show with some musical numbers.

And finally, for OETA when they are choosing new episodes for the 2011-12 season, I know that plenty of fans would like more classic black & white episodes but would guys also consider a few episodes from seasons 14 through 16 on ABC?

On that note, commence with the new season and happy viewing!

New season starts tonight

Bandstand of the Week

The year was 1966. From the Hollywood Palace in living color!

Bandstand of the Week

Everyone's gone back to school

Judging by their varsity sweaters....the Musical Family are Ohio State students

 

Everyone's gone back to school

Jimmy Roberts

Is about ready to sing, especially for the ladies...

 

Jimmy Roberts

Musical Family Hair of the Week

Today is the first day using other members of the Musical Family!

This week, it's Johnny Zell with his early 1970s short haircut.

Musical Family Hair of the Week

2010-11 Welk schedule on public television

Here's the listing of shows scheduled to air this season, all repeats that have been recycled from the 2009-10 season courtesy of our friends from OETA.

1. SALUTE TO THE USA - September 4, 2010
2. SALUTE TO SWING BANDS - September 11, 2010
3. DO YOU REMEMBER? - September 18, 2010
4. BIG CITY USA - September 25, 2010
5. SEASON PREMIERE '76 - October 2, 2010
6. HIGHWAYS & BYWAYS - October 9, 2010
7. FARM SHOW - October 16, 2010
8. SONGS OF PERRY COMO - October 23, 2010
9. HALLOWEEN PARTY - October 30, 2010
10. SONGS OF THE 70s - November 6, 2010
11. MOVIE SONGWRITERS - November 13, 2010

12. THANKSGIVING SPECIAL - November 20, 2010
13. MUSICAL MEMORIES - November 27, 2010
14. FRENCH SHOW - December 4, 2010
15. WINTER - December 11, 2010
16. CHRISTMAS REUNION '85 - December 18, 2010
17. TRIBUTE TO BING CROSBY - December 25, 2010
18. TRIBUTE TO WALT DISNEY - January 1, 2011
19. COUNTY FAIR - January 8, 2011
20. KEEP A SONG IN YOUR HEART - January 15, 2011
21. ALL TIME FAVORITES - January 22, 2011
22. TRIBUTE TO THE BIG BANDS - January 29, 2011
23. SALUTE TO VINCENT YOUMANS - February 5, 2011

24. LOVE SONGS - February 12, 2011
25. FASHIONS & HITS THROUGH THE YEARS - February 19, 2011
26. RHYTHM IS OUR BUSINESS - February 26, 2011
27. SONGS FROM THE CLASSICS - March 5, 2011
28. MUSICAL TOUR OF THE U.S.A - March 12, 2011
29. TRIBUTE TO JEROME KERN - March 19, 2011
30. 25th ANNIVERSARY - March 26, 2011
31. EASTER - April 2, 2011
32. SONGS OF JIMMY McHUGH - April 9, 2011
33. TOP SONGS FROM BROADWAY SHOWS - April 16, 2011
34. BIG BAND DAYS - April 23, 2011
35. GRAMMY AWARD SONGS - April 30, 2011

 
36. CALIFORNIA SHOW - May 7, 2011
37. GREAT ENTERTAINERS - May 14, 2011
38. CHILDHOOD MEMORIES - May 21, 2011
39. MUSIC OF IRVING BERLIN - May 28, 2011
40. OCCUPATIONS - June 4, 2011
41. CARNIVAL - June 11, 2011
42. FAMOUS RESORTS - June 18, 2011
43. STRIKE UP THE BAND - June 25, 2011
44. LIVE FROM HAWAII - July 2, 2011
45. FROM POLKAS TO CLASSICS - July 9, 2011
46. WE CAN MAKE MUSIC - July 16, 2011
47. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A HOMETOWN BAND - July 23, 2011

48. SONGS BY JOHNNY MERCER - July 30, 2011
49. PLEASANT DREAMS - August 6, 2011
50. CAN'T HELP SINGING - August 13, 2011
51. TOUR OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - August 20, 2011
52. COUNTRY & WESTERN - August 27, 2011

2010-11 Welk schedule on public television

Country & Western '68

Grab your partners and let's Do Si Do with this week's Lawrence Welk episode, a salute to Country & Western Music from 1968!

Here are the highlights from El Rancho Escondido....

Lynn Anderson tells Larry Hooper to pull her finger

Joe Feeney teaches the boys and girls how to properly put a Stetson on Dick Dale's head....

.....and Bob Lido is the NRA

COUNTRY & WESTERN HOEDOWN - March 9, 1968

1. SQUARE DANCE - Jimmy, Andra, Bobby, Cissy, Bob (Ralston), Lynn, Dick, Norma and musicians
2. AM I THAT EASY TO FORGET? - Frank Scott at the harpsichord, Charlotte Harris on cello, Myron Floren on the PAN accordion and the string section
3. THE WAYWARD WIND - Norma Zimmer
4. THERE AIN'T GONNA BE NO ANOTHER TIME - Lynn Anderson with musicians and chorus
5. DON'T FENCE ME IN - Bob Ralston at the piano

 
6. GOODNIGHT IRENE - Joe Feeney with the whole cast with Myron Floren at the accordion and Buddy Merrill on guitar
7. MEDLEY: I'M A LONG, TALL TEXAN/TURKEY IN THE STRAW - danced by Bobby Burgess and Cissy King
8. THE TENNESSEE WALTZ - Natalie Nevins
9. SAN ANTONIO ROSE (Rose of San Antone) - Buddy Merrill and Neil Levang on guitars
10. THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS - Jo Ann Castle at the honky tonk piano with Neil Levang on banjo

11. MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY - Jimmy Roberts
12. ANYTIME - Andra Willis
13. HERE COMES HEAVEN - Steve Smith
14. JINGLE, JANGLE, JINGLE - danced by Arthur Duncan
15. I'M WALKIN' THE FLOOR OVER YOU - Tanya Falan

16. IF I COULD SEE THE WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD - Dick Dale
17. WABASH CANNONBALL - orchestra featuring Frank Scott on harpischord, Neil Levang on guitar. Dick Cathcart on trumpet and the string section
18. AUCTIONEER SONG - Larry Hooper
19. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE - Sandi Griffiths & Sally Flynn
20. JUST BECAUSE - Myron Floren and Jo Ann Castle on accordion with Richard Maloof on tuba
21. RAGTIME COWBOY JOE - Bob Lido

This is the last episode of the 2009-10 Welk PBS season, and it's also the last "new" episode for a year....so starting next week, it's all repeats.

When this episode was first aired on ABC, Lynn Anderson was beginning her ascent to Country Superstar as Lawrence mentioned that she was the recipient of the Academy of Country & Western Music's Top Female Vocalist of 1967 with hits such as "Ride, Ride, Ride" and "Promises, Promises".

  
Tonight's show was also bittersweet and heartfelt with Natalie Nevins' recent passing, I must admit that her rendition of The Tennessee Waltz left yours truly misty-eyed and with a heavy heart.

But on a happier note, it was neat to see the girls surprise the Maestro with a birthday cake and the singing of the Happy Birthday song. These impromptu and unscripted moments make the show worth watching.

And there will be more milestones and memories to follow in the seasons to come.

  
So as we get ready for a new season of Welk....full of repeats....keep a song in your heart and if you don't explain to your kids about square dancing, who will?

Country & Western '68

Bandstand of the Week

From 1964, the band is dressed up like the streets of Paris...

Vive La France!

Bandstand of the Week

Andrapalooza!

For today is Andra Willis' birthday in which we all celebrate....

Happy Birthday Andra!

Andrapalooza!

Natalie Nevins sings Maria

First off, there's another new obit about Natalie from the Philadlephia Inquirer and this one offers more details about her life

NATALIE NEVINS, 85, A WELK SINGER

To continue our salute to this talented songbird, here's a number that best demonstrates her pitch-perfect singing voice. It's the song "Maria" from the show "The Sound of Music" sung on the Welk Show in 1967.

Natalie Nevins sings Maria

R.I.P Natalie Nevins

It's with deep hearts and great sadness to inform all you Welk fans that Music Maker Natalie Nevins has passed away last Monday...

From 1965 to 1969, Natalie's was a very popular member of the Musical Family, both with her colleagues as well as television and concert audiences. She also was a natural when it came to playing reed instruments like the flute and the piccolo, but it was her pure and elegant singing....whether as a soloist or in duets with Jimmy Roberts or Joe Feeney that we remember her the most.

Our prayers go out to her family at this time.

Here are her written obituaries, both from the Philadelphia area where she was born and raised and lived in until recently.

PHILLY BURBS.COM: NATALIE NEVINS

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: NATALIE NEVINS

R.I.P Natalie Nevins

Tanya Falan Hairstyle of the Week - Grand Finale

Well this is it, after six months here's the twenty-sixth and final installment....

We hope you enjoy this salute to a very talented and lovely lady and her different hairstyles!

The Hair of the Week segment shall continue with a different Welk star, just keep dropping in to find out who will it be.

Tanya Falan Hairstyle of the Week - Grand Finale

Postcards from Southern California

The Musical Family are having a great time! Wish you were here....

Here at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Arthur is dancing for the tourists....

Ava Barber and Jim Turner are having fun at Knott's Berry Farm

....and let's hit the beach with Bobby and Elaine

Here's Kathie Sullivan and Dick Dale taking in a Dodgers game at Chavez Ravine, where they'll see Jonathon Broxton blow another save in the ninth....

After all that, lets watch the ponies over at Santa Anita....

...and what better way to finish the day with a nice round of golf at the Maestro's Escondido resort!

Postcards from Southern California

There's no skirting around with Smart Skirts

It's always an exciting day here in the Champagne Cyber Universe when one of our Music Makers makes his or her presence felt on the web!

Hollywood's newest entertainment mogul, Tanya has Smart Skirts Entertainment where they develop television shows for cable TV and beyond.

You can check out their webpage at SMART SKIRTS ENTERTAINMENT.COM

It's beautifully constructed and very informative, we at Welk Musical Family wish her and everyone at Smart Skirts the very best! 

There's no skirting around with Smart Skirts