The South and Mardi Gras show

And now, highlights from this week's Lawrence Welk episode....

The opening number, "Are You From Dixie?"

Bobby & Cissy dance to "Big D"

Anacani sings "Come to the Mardi Gras"

Ava Barber sings "Jambalaya"

Larry Hooper sings "That's What I Like About The South"

Have a good week! I'm gonna go watch the Daytona 500....

The South and Mardi Gras show

Songs of the South

This one is a blast from the past, 1967 that is....

The fellas sing "Chattanooga Choo Choo"

Let's head on down to Bourbon Street fro some of that New Orleans Dixieland style music!

Where Jo Ann Castle and the gang will be playing!

I was down south yesterday, it was actually Southwest Michigan for the UT-Western Michigan game (which the Rockets lost....again).

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, but you don't have to wait that long as next week's show celebrates that holiday!

Songs of the South

Songs of the South and Mardi Gras

Here's an episode that you Southerners would love, it's a salute to the Songs of the South and Mardi Gras that first aired on February 28, 1976.

And by the way, nobody did any covers to either Neil Young's "Southern Man" or Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", but there are plenty of good songs you can whistle Dixie to.....

....such as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Guy & Ralna for example,

Also, dressed as cowpokes, Cissy & Bobby sang and danced to "Big D"....

....that's Dallas by the way, not Des Moines

Other fine selections include Norma Zimmer's "Tara's Theme" or better know as the theme somg from Gone With The Wind, plus Jimmy Roberts' "Rose of San Antone", Tom Netherton with "Deep River" and the music makers instrumental of "Carolina in the Morning".

Here's Anacani kicking off the second half of the show, singing "Come to the Mardi Gras."

Here's Dick Dale with Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzger with "Mississippi Mud".

There were also Louisiana favorites in this part, such as Ava Barber's "Jambalaya", Ralna in the solo spot with "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" and sweet dixieland jazz numbers such as "The Royal Garden Blues" and "The South Rampart Street Parade" shown here with the chorus to close the show.

That's the show for this week, and speaking of the Big Easy....the NBA All-Star Game is held there this year at the New Orleans Arena (home of the Hornets), and although it's not Mardi Gras, it still will be a Cajun-filled good time to watch!

Sitting in the hot seat this week is Ava Barber, who talks about her adventures on the Welk show, her husband Roger and plenty more fun stuff that leaves both ladies laughing!

Next week show is back to the repeats, Salute to the Oscars from 1971, so until then....good wishes and keep a song in your heart!

Songs of the South and Mardi Gras

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

Southern Fried Show

This week, lets all go down South, home of grits, RC Cola and Moon Pies for a Lawrence Welk-styled Southern show, here's the Maestro ready to get things started!

First aired back on February 4, 1967 originally on ABC....the music makers pay homage to Ol' Dixie, starting with the number "Are You From Dixie" plus there are several great instrumentals to get your feet tappin' such as "Carolina In The Morning", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" played by the fellas in Dixieland style!

We also pay a visit to Cabaret Lido run by Bob Lido where he treats you to some great Mardi Gras fun! Here, we are treated to great numbers such as "Down Yonder" with Jo Ann Castle at the 88s (piano), "The Mighty Mississippi" by Dick Dale and Larry Hooper's classic request "Mississippi Mud."

Our special guest for this week is Anita Bryant, the Florida Orange Juice lady, here with some of her numbers such as "Mame" and "Swanee." Say what you want about her, but I can admit this....Jane Curtin from the good' ol days of Saturday Night Live did a great impersonation of her!

And heading back to the Cabaret...we see Kathy Lennon and Steve Smith singing and dancing to "Whie We Danced At The Mardi Gras."

There we several great numbers in this week's show, such as the Lennon Sisters' "The Stars Fell On Alabama", "Sleepy Time Down South" by Norma Zimmer, "My Old Kentucky Home" by Jimmy Roberts and "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" tap danced by Arthur Duncan!

All in all....a fine show, it will have you speaking with a Southern drawl...y' all!

This week, in the hot seat is Kathy Lennon....who talks about her time on the show, and has fond recollections of the music makers such as Alice Lon and the members of the orchestra. It was a very pleasant and engaging interview, and Kathy still looks very beautiful and youthful today!

That's all for this week....you' all come back now, ya' here!

Goodnight Irene....now I am speaking Southern myself son.

Southern Fried Show