A Southern Show

This Thanksgiving week.....we got a repeat, it's a "Southern Show" from February 1967 and here are some highlights...

Bobby Burgess, Arthur Duncan and Jack Imel along with the gang in the train depot singing "Are You From Dixie?"

Here's the Maestro with his special guest star.....the juice queen Anita Bryant, in happier times of course.

Singing and dancing about "Big D" here's Barbara Boylan and Bobby Burgess wearing one of Rose Weiss' originals.....from her Wild Wild Wild West collection

And now it's down to the French Quarter at Bob Lido's nightclub where Larry Hooper and the rest of the Dixieland fellas are ready to swing it....New Orleans style!

And that wraps up the week. I do declare that we get a new one next time 'round so take care until then!

A Southern Show

Johnny Zell's birthday

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Play us one of your most popular trumpet solos on your special day!

Johnny Zell's birthday

Another Welk Haiku

And for today, on this Black Friday....here's a Myron Floren haiku

Jenny Lind

or Pennsylvania

It's polka time

with Myron Floren

Maybe one of these days, someone will come up with a haiku polka!

Another Welk Haiku

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us from Welk Musical Family.com to your own personal and extended musical family.

May the lumps in your mashed potatoes be few, the pumpkin pie taste like a dream and may all your football be fun to watch!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gail Farrell on Match Game

Got to watch one of Gail Farrell's appearances on Match Game, these are from her first time around.....the 1979-80 season.

While they are always fun to watch, I think GSN must be episode-skipping again because I think they showed her second episode of her first five.

I hate it when they do that! Especially since I only have the last two shows of that cycle and I needed the first three to complete the set, to go along with my set of the entire 1981-82 cycle....her second time on the show.

If anyone has a copy of her first MG episode, or maybe her third if they skip episodes again....let me know.

Gail Farrell on Match Game

Dancing With The Stars finals.....place your bets

Next week's finals for Dancing With The Stars is set.....it boils down between a Spice Girl (Scary Spice/Mel B.), an Osmond (Marie) and a Indy 500 champ (Castroneves).

I was surprised that Marie got in, despite being only one of the four semifinalists to not once have a perfect score in either the Ballroom or Latin round but the fans have spoken.

Scary is still the favorite to win, but doesn't have the Osmond Army-type support Marie has.....Helio Castroneves would be the next favorite, but will enough racing fans be able to push him across the finish line?

This should make for one interesting title bout!

Dancing With The Stars finals.....place your bets

Bringing home the bacon....of a deal

Looking at last week's Thanksgiving episode, I noticed that the Musical Family went shopping....

Among the items they got was that Rath's Hickory Smoked Bacon.....

mmmmmm......bacon, as Homer Simpson would say,

It also looks like they got some of that Rath's canned ham as well.....

Me thinks they got their groceries from a certain game show host......

....and his loyal assistant you can find on the Market Place of America.

From my opinon, it would all make sense.....after all both Welk and Let's Make A Deal both taped their shows at the ABC facilites on Prospect & Talmadge, and often shared the same studios as well.

As long as neither gets zonked.....everything seems to go well!

Bringing home the bacon....of a deal

Thanksgiving 1973

Thanksgiving is almost here, so what better way to celebrate than champagne style with the Salute to Thanksgiving show from November 1973?

This is the first time I got to see this episode, and all the numbers were done beautifully....here's a sampling.

Here's the gang opening the show with "Home For The Holidays".

Next, Guy & Ralna serve up some holiday cheer with, "Y'all Come!"

Up on the stage is Ken Delo in the solo spotlight with "My Cup Runneth Over".

And here's Anacani singing the ever popular Latin standard, "Besame Mucho"....

How about a rousing polka? Myron Floren and the fellas have the answer with the Jenny Lind Polka!

Other fantastic numbers include Tanya's "What The World Needs Is Love, Sweet Love", Bobby & Cissy dancing to "Somewhere My Love", the band's instrumental arrangement of "Winter Wonderland", Clay Hart asking you to "Try A Little Kindness" and "Bless This House" sung by Norma Zimmer.

Also, all the ladies sang "Count Your Blessings" with Sandi Griffiths on lead vocal.

And speaking of Sandi......

She was interviewed this week by Mary Lou Metzger, where she talked about her family which included husband Brent, her father who lives in Utah and her children. In addition to some of her memories on the Welk show, Sandi also talked about getting her Masters at BYU, where she is studying herbology and the gospel of eating "live" foods for a healthier life!

Next week, we're getting the "Southern Show" from the 1960s.....keep a song in your heart and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 1973

Saturday Morning Haiku

This week's topic.....the Maestro's Italian Daughter-In-Law, Tanya Falan!

She sings a torch song

And then goes into rhythm

Tanya takes control

Not bad....eh?

One more thing, since today is the big OSU-UM game......GO BUCKS!

Saturday Morning Haiku

The Aldridge Sisters & Otwell Twins.....their first appearance as a team

From the 1977 New Year's Show....here's the Aldridge Sisters and the Otwell Twins together for the first time as a team singing, "Knee Deep In Love With You".

The Aldridge Sisters & Otwell Twins.....their first appearance as a team

TV Land's icons....100 greatest? NOT!!!!!

TV Land and Enetertainment Weekly have their list of their 100 Greatest TV Icons & Legends....

and Lawrence Welk is not on the list.....which is a joke.

To view the list, and see who made or missed the cut, here's the full Top 100

In my opinion, if there's no Maestro, no mention of the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 but instead put flakes on like Calista Flockhart, Simon Cowell and Rosie O' Donnell instead.....IT'S NOT A VALID LIST!

TV Land's icons....100 greatest? NOT!!!!!

Muncie Madness

These are the mascots for the University of Toledo (Rocky the Rocket Man) and Ball State University (Charlie Cardinal)

As you can tell, I was in Muncie last night (nice way to observe Mary Lou Metzger's birthday) watching my Rockets get pounded by Ball State 41-20. It was a fun three-hour trip and back, especially since the game was on ESPN2.

So much for a chance to go bowling.....gotta get ready for BGSU in nine days, and a chance to finish the season at .500

As for Dancing With The Stars, the semifinals are all set.....it's down to Scary Spice, Marie Osmond, Heilo Castroneves and Jennie Garth fighting for a berth in next week's Super Bowl of Celebrity Ballroom Dancing.

This should get very interesting as the holidays approach, as well as a fresh batch of new Welk shows on PBS to follow.

Muncie Madness

Mary Lou Metzger

Today is Mary Lou Metzger's birthday!

Since 1970, she's sung and danced her way into every Lawrence Welk fan's heart.

Here's Mary Lou as a child star on stage in the Meredith Wilson play, "Music Man".

Now it's the 1970s, where she's making a name for herself on the Welk show....

And here's Mary Lou all dressed up for the 1980s......

She's known to wear several hats in the business.....singer, dancer, producer and actor.....and for today, birthday girl.

Happy Birthday Mary Lou.....you know that all of Welk Nation will be celebrating!

Mary Lou Metzger

Salute to Sinatra

This week, the Welk stars pay tribute to Frank Sinatra which originally aired on November 4, 1978....here are a few highlights!

The Aldridge Sisters and Otwell Twins with "Something Stupid".

And here's Bobby & Cissy dancing to "Chicago".....

Next is Ken Delo singing "That's Life" in true Sinatra fashion.....

Here's the duo of Gail and Dale doing the dishes and singing "Love & Marriage"

And here's the orchestra and singers with the closing number, "Night & Day".

Next week, it's a brand spanking new show.....a Thanksgiving show with Mary Lou Metzger's interview with Sandi Griffiths.

Take care....and keep a song in your heart!

Salute to Sinatra

How fast can they sing?

You always wanted to know how fast one can sing?

Straight from the depths of YouTube utopia, here's Sandi & Sally from 1971 singing "I've Been Everywhere" and try to keep up!

How fast can they sing?

Accordian Men

When it comes to the squeezebox, nobody else can do polkas better!

And you know by now I mean Lawrence Welk....

and Myron Floren of course......

And when they team up for a duet, watch out on the dance floor!

Accordian Men

Dick Dale article

Dick Dale is in the news! He's the subject of a nice article written by the Mason City Globe-Gazette....so just click here to read the article.

And as an added bonus, if you click on the video link.....you can watch a super video of Dick talking about his memories as a performer!

Dick Dale article

Zoot Suit Riot

Mothers of the world, do you want your kids growing up to wear threads like these?

Here's Bob Lido joined by Aladdin and Jack Martin from a classic B&W episode dressed to the tens in zoot suits, having a riot of a good time!

Zoot Suit Riot

More Dancing With The Stars.....

This week, it's two dances for the price of one.....the Ballroom round and the Latin round!

Scary Spice cemented her front-runner status with the highest total score of the week, scoring a perfect 30 with her paso doble after scoring a 24 previously with the Viennese waltz.

Marie Osmond did well scoring a strong 28 with the quickstep, but stumbled with a 24 with her cha cha.

Former 90210 star Jennie Garth finished second in the competition, scoring a 25 also doing the Viennese waltz and a 28 with the rumba. Heilo Castroneves did respectable with a 25 on the tango and a 27 on the samba.

Rounding out the two, Cameron Matheson got a 24 with the quickstep and a 27 with the jive followed by Jane Seymour with a quickstep scoring a 24 followed by a 26 with her cha cha.

Now comes the result show.....will there be another shocker? Only the viewers have the final say.

More Dancing With The Stars.....

Fun with the Livotis

This here is Lawrence Welk's very talented violinst and concertmaster Joe Livoti, a member of the orchestra since 1962.

Also, his daughter Sylvia is a very talented singer in her own right....she has made several guest appearances on the show during the 1960s!

Here's one of them, where she teams up with Charlie Parlato.

Fun with the Livotis

I'm meeting my baby tonight at Southtown USA.....

This week, we were shown "Southtown USA" again.....which was aired just this last April, but still a very good show.

Here are some highlights, everyone gathered around the piano for a sing-a-long!

The Lennon Sisters; Kathy, Janet and Peggy singing "Hummingbird."

Barbara Boylan and Bobby Burgess dancing to the song, "Buttons And Bows" back at the hotel.

Dick Dale with Lennons singing "Gotta Travel On."

And finally, some nice work at the novachord by the "grandpappy" of the Welk orchestra....the talented Jerry Burke.

Next week, the champagne music makers will pay salute to Ol' Blue Eyes himself.....Frank Sinatra.

And you're thinking somebody else that has blue eyes? I don't think so!

Until next time, keep a song in your heart.

I'm meeting my baby tonight at Southtown USA.....

Time to hit the books!

Looks like Dick Dale and Andra Willis are in study hall, getting ready for those mid-term exams....

It brings me back to my own college days, they were lots of fun.....except for the part about attending classes and being assigned homework.

Time to hit the books!

Scenes from a small town

Lets pay a visit to Small Town USA, from this Lawrence Welk Show that originally aired in the Spring of 1969.

Riding into town....is Myron Floren as "Doc Floren"

Right now at the local barbershop, Larry Hooper gets both a cut, shave and a song....try finding that at your local suburban Supercuts!

It's time for school.....lets find out what Natalie Nevins is teaching her pupils today......

Nect, at the local general store, business is very brisk.....the customers find time to play a game of checkers.....

And here comes the most popular girls in town, Sandi & Sally!

Try finding this much fun and excitement in the big city!

Scenes from a small town