Usually, I'm not too crazy about pledge drives on my PBS station, but I don't mind if they show a great Lawrence Welk pledge special.
And one of my favorites, and yours, has to be Milestones & Memories
And in today's edition of the Champagne Five....here's my top five moments from the reunion of forty-seven members of the Musical Family taped at Fun City USA....Branson at the Champagne Theater.
5. THE SHOW'S OPENING
It opens with the stars all singing "We're Here....Milestones & Memories!" followed by a roll call in chronological order (for example: "1957 - Joe Feeney, Jack Imel, Pete Fountain;" "1959 - Jo Ann Castle") and pictured above is the class of 1968 featuring Johnny Zell, Sandi Griffiths and Sally Flynn.
That is also followed by the next number "Say It With Music" where each of the Music Makers, while singing, waltz out in front of the camera in pairs of boy with girl arm to arm....all which sets the mood for a great show.
You can tell what they were doing is lots of fun and then some.
4. TANYA SINGS "IT HAD TO BE YOU"
This moment is significant for this reason, the last time Welk fans saw Tanya Falan sing on television was back in 1977 and since then, she basically disappeared from the public eye.
For many fans, they have asked "Whatever happened to Tanya?", "Has she changed?" or "Does she still sing?" amongst the many questions asked.
So after twenty three years of not being heard from, all questions are answered with her rendition of "It Had To Be You", proving she still has the vocal chops.
3. BOBBY BURGESS AND ALL THREE OF HIS DANCING PARTNERS
Yes, we love to watch Bobby Burgess dance. Whether it's with Barbara Boylan, Cissy King or Elaine Balden....fans could not get enough.
But we never seen Bobby dance with all three of his partners on stage at the same time, that is until Milestones & Memories came along.
To the tune of "Night & Day", the kids waltz away the night fancy....
....with Barbara
...with Cissy
....and with Elaine.
2. ALL THE CHAMPAGNE LADIES COME TOGETHER
This was one of the more sentimental and emotional moments of the show, all the surviving Lawrence Welk Champagne Ladies share the stage, stretching from the days at the Aragon in Chicago during the 1940s to when the television show ended in the early 1980s.
Appearing on stage were Lois Best (1939-40), Jayne Walton (1940-45), Helen Ramsey (1947-49), Roberta Linn (1949-53) and Norma Zimmer (1960-present)
I think it's safe to say that this is a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime milestone.
1. THE INFORMAL MUSICAL FAMILY GET TOGETHER
This was the final part of the special, and the most fun at it! All the Music Makers got together, on the stage, sharing memories, singing songs and just plain having fun like real good friends should.
Who can forget Guy & Ralna singing together again?
Ken Delo singing "Babyface".....
Janet Lennon and Arthur Duncan doing that old soft shoe?
....and towards the end when everyone sings "That's What Friends Are For?"
That is what the special is all about, true friendship made together by song and the vision of a farmboy from Strasburg, North Dakota.
We'll never see magic like this, from a collection of talent like this on one stage ever again. But thanks to the magic of television, it's preserved for all of us to see over and over again.
The Champagne Five - Milestones & Memories moments
