Welk employed many musicians and singers, which were known in the press as his "Musical Family". (When it became known that Chrysler's rival Ford employed Narz's older brother Jack, they changed James's name to Tom Kennedy to avoid confusion between the two; Kennedy was moved to Date with the Angels in 1957.). In March 1987, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority produced and released a documentary film, Lawrence Welk: Television's Music Man, hosted by Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters. In response to ABC's move, Welk started his own production company and continued producing the show for syndication. Required fields are marked *. How can he not be signaling to an in-group when he turns his head and touches his tie before the camera cuts over to the singers? In an interview, Fountain admitted he left Welk because "Champagne and bourbon don't mix. It is obvious to me that the numbers are lip synched and mime played the renditions of Welks Greatest Hits thru the years (I.e. Personal life. The business with the guy on the tenor (barytone?) Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ralna continued her gospel singing while Guy became an advisor to childhood friend, Senator Trent Lott of Louisiana. They have also released a CD of Christmas songs called The Gift with the Billy Andrusco Trio. Charley made three separate appearances. And yet, and yet, Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged irony, Lawrence Welk, One Toke Over The Line, pop culture, television | 5 Comments. Calcutta, Yellow Bird, Apples & Bananas, Winchester Cathedral, Last Date, Baby Elephant Walk) sound exactly the same on the show as they do on the original records, Fern Rennerm. Actually, thats exactly why I am suspicious about this (and all of) LWs stuff. Part of the appeal of their act was the portrayal of Guy and Ralna as a happily married couple. Although Welk was born in the United States, his second-generation accent was thick. Some independent stations put it in its old Saturday timeslot, and in many cases, it drew higher ratings than the network shows scheduled at that time. "You know, those jet planes make masonic booms. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He lived in a rural German-speaking town and dropped out of school in the fourth grade in order to farm full time. For more information, please see our Lawrence Welk was an accordion-playing bandleader who had a variety show on television from the early '50s to the early '80s. were so titled because they were his catchphrases). Welk's program was among a group of syndicated niche programs, others including Hee Haw and Soul Train, that flourished during this era. It makes me wonder if one of the guys in the band thought itd be funny to try to convince Welk that this was a spiritual, simply because it uses the term Sweet Jesus, which is probably a brand of weed too (SeriouslyI dont know.seriously!) The Ed Sullivan Shiw was the exception to the rule. Parlofax: Were these (the 70s numbers) prerecorded and mimed to? First published on January 3, 2020 / 2:12 PM. How Do You Get Rid Of Hiccups In 5 Seconds. Part of the appeal of their act was the portrayal of Guy and Ralna as a happily married couple. ", "I just had an idea that went right over my head. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Watchlist. He was 89 years old. A few of these have been broadcast on public television. Were there any black people on Lawrence Welk? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Was The Lawrence Welk Show Filmed Live? I always envision them going off stage, doing acid and having mad sex while LWs handlers kept him in the dark. In fact, Lawrence Welk did not learn English until his early 20s, which explains the accent that became his trademark. The closing theme during the syndicated years, with lyrics often performed by the "Musical Family", was "Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen" (composed by George Cates). Those still living include: Sharon Baird (now 70), Bobby Burgess (71), Lonnie Burr (69), Tommy Cole (71), Darlene Gillespie (71), Cubby OBrien (66), Karen Pendleton (66) and Doreen Tracey (70). The last of the original Lawrence Welk shows went on the air April 18, 1982, giving him 27 years as a first-run performer. Know-It-All: Bobby and Cissy, king and queen of the dance. [9] Throughout the early 1970s, several variety shows (including Welk's), but ranging from long-running series such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace and The Red Skelton Show to more contemporary shows such as Hee Haw, The Johnny Cash Show and This Is Tom Jones) were pulled from network schedules (particularly ABC and CBS) in a demographic move known colloquially as the "rural purge". whole band: The show would often open by showing bubbles floating around and was accompanied by a sound effect of a bottle of champagne opening, including the opening theme (originally Bubbles in the Wine, composed by Welk and Frank Loesser, later replaced with a derivative theme, Champagne Time, and fanfare composed by George . In the New York Times, Welk credited his incredible success in part to his hard youth; he did not speak English until he was 21. The Trouble with Watching Lawrence Welk. The Mickey Mouse Club was hosted by Jimmie Dodd, a songwriter and the Head Mouseketeer, who provided leadership both on and off the screen. 'The Lawrence Welk Show' was mocked as television's most wholesome program but bandleader Lawrence Welk stayed busy covering up scandals behind the scenes! They are the parents of a daughter Julie (born 1977). Another example of being bound by Welk's set of morals was famed clarinetist Pete Fountain, renowned for his New Orleans-style jazz. Mary Beth turned to him and said, "You know, I've always liked Lawrence Welk. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Playing small professional gigs in the surrounding area, Welk honed his musical skills and earned enough money to pay his parents back when he left home for good in 1924. In 1954, Paramount announced plans to distribute the show nationwide,[2] plans that never materialized due to Paramount's feuds with DuMont Television Network that led to the collapse of both. [1] The original show was broadcast from the since-demolished Aragon Ballroom at Venice Beach. After divorcing in 1984, Guy & Ralna pursued separate careers. Welk was born in the German-speaking community of Strasburg, North Dakota. However that only pertained to the vocals. ", Asking the guitarist to accompany a guest vocalist: It does not store any personal data. A well-known task master, Welks patience ran dry when he abruptly fired her in 1978 over her tardiness to work. On October 30, 1977, Ralna and Guy adopted (mentioned on an episode of Tattletales) their daughter, Julie, who was to become an elementary schoolteacher. The Lawrence Welk Show airs each week on 217 public television stations nationally, is seen by more than three million people each week and has more viewers than BET, MTV and VH-1 combined on Saturday nights. Lawrence Welk was an accordion-playing bandleader who had a variety show on television from the early 50s to the early 80s. ", Inviting the Wisconsin Cheese Queen in the audience to come up on stage and Are Guy and Ralna from the Lawrence Welk Show back together? At a commercial, January 3, 2020 / 2:12 PM It is obvious to me that the numbers are lip synched and mime played the renditions of Welks Greatest Hits thru the years (I.e. Ive had bad trips. Thanks to anyone who can shed any light on these question. The Finger Lake sensation is back!WATCH PAST SNL SEASONSGoogle Play - http://bit.ly/SNLGooglePlayiTunes - http://bit.ly/SNLiTunes SNL ON SOCIALSNL Instagram: http://instagram.com/nbcsnlSNL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snlSNL Twitter: https://twitter.com/nbcsnlSNL Tumblr: http://nbcsnl.tumblr.com/SNL Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nbcsnl/ GET MORE NBCLike NBC: http://Facebook.com/NBCFollow NBC: http://Twitter.com/NBCNBC Tumblr: http://NBCtv.tumblr.com/YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nbcNBC Instagram: http://instagram.com/nbctv #SNL Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your email address will not be published. Are the Lennon Sisters related to John Lennon? Loading. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved After Lott retired from the Senate, Guy began singing again with Ralna and they are again performing together regularly. Your email address will not be published. Privacy Policy. Where there wireless back then, or overheads on booms? King and Welks relationship began to deteriorate after Welk discovered that King was asking her friends and relatives to write letters praising her performances. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Its too Osmond-esque for me, but at least the Osmonds seemed truly wholesome. Is the great British baking show coming back in 2021? In one of his most infamous incidents, he asked singers Gail Farrell and Dick Dale to perform Brewer & Shipley's hit song "One Toke Over the Line" (a mock gospel tune riddled with drug references) as a modern spiritual, apparently oblivious to the meaning of the word "toke. "Calcutta' onwards are superb. 4 Did the singers on Lawrence Welk lip sync? When did Peter Frampton release Show Me the Way? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Dale was 88. They live in Sherman Oaks, California. Welk relied on fan letters to tell him who was popular and who was not. (Both on TV and in live performances, Welk did not shy away from allowing more modern musical styles such as light rock and roll to be performed.). Welk was raised on a farm in Strasburg, North Dakota, the child of German immigrants who made their way to the United States by way of the Ukraine. I was happy during his employment with LW because our family got to spend the summers in Lake Tahoe while the band performed there. . Lawrence Welk, the band leader whose folksy charm and bubbly brand of "Champagne music" shaped one of the longest-running shows in television history, died on Sunday evening at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. Was Nadiya on the Great British baking show? Why did Sissy leave the Lawrence Welk Show? He had this curious Eastern European accent he'd been born and raised in rural North Dakota, but in a German-speaking community. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, 2023 Oscars: Watch scenes from the best picture nominees, The "luminist architecture" of Steven Holl, This week on "Sunday Morning" (February 26), Pulling back the veil of secrecy surrounding McKinsey. Lawrence Welk, the band leader whose folksy charm and bubbly brand of Champagne music shaped one of the longest-running shows in television history, died on Sunday evening at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. In my third season most numbers were live, pre-recording was reserved for a few specific performers, plus large "production numbers" that would be more difficult to capture live. [8] (During later years, a number of Welk cast members appeared in commercials for many of the show's sponsors, filmed specifically to air during Welk broadcasts.) (LogOut/ (To the non-guitar players: this would prevent the open strings from ringing altogether) However, comes his 1/2 bar solo (after the accordion bit), then this pick is gone! Our whole family use to be on some of those Christmas shows from that era. he bemoans his accent, and in some of his pronunciations of "wonderful" in the show he can be heard forcing the D. If the number was more of a dance tune, Welk would frequently dance with ladies from the audience, for which he became somewhat known. On January 11, 2018, Nethertons younger brother, Brad Netherton, announced on his Facebook page that the singer had died from pneumonia and the flu on January 7, 2018 at age 70. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Yes We Can, Music, Race and PresidentialPolitics, A Modern Spiritual by Gayle and Dale | Bloom Radio. Change). I mixed the Welk show for three seasons ~ '71-'73. The show made its national television debut on ABC Television on July 2, 1955,[3] and was initially produced at the Hollywood Palladium,[4][5] moving to the ABC studios at Prospect and Talmadge (stage 5) in Hollywood shortly afterwards. A well-known task master, Welk's patience ran dry when he abruptly fired her in 1978 over her tardiness to work. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". His lips seem to be moving but it doesnt soun like him. How can Gayle and Dales little winking looks at each other not come from knowing that as soon as they cut to commercial the two of them will be one toke over the line; and perhaps in flagrante delicto as well, maybe WITH the announcer. This list includes all of the The Lawrence Welk Show main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below.You can various bits of trivia about these The Lawrence Welk Show stars, such as where the actor was born and what their year of birth is. The show was most highly rated during the mid to late 1960's and was a top 30 hit for five seasons, according to ClassicTVHits.com's ratings database. Could they possibly have been THAT wholesome? Classic Welk-isms, as compiled by Dick Wilson, a sound mixer who worked on Just keep going? . The Lawrence Welk Show cast list, including photos of the actors when available. Rose Weiss was the long-term Welk costume designer and manager. [] [From The Trouble with Watching Lawrence Welk People Listen to It] []. The lip syncing of prerecorded material is particularly obvious. Reruns continue to air to this day (in many markets airing on Saturday nights at 7pm, the same time the show aired during the latter years of its original run), with new and updated interviews with surviving cast members. Today, Sheila makes her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee; where she and Chris have a husband-and-wife singing act that performs in local clubs. Here is a clip featuring the original Red Team and many others form the old show. A recording of the song has been edited over the updated credits on PBS reruns. To the pianist he hears rehearsing: "Why do you do that? (The success of Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw in syndication, and the network decisions that led to their respective cancellations, were the inspiration for a novelty song called "The Lawrence Welk-Hee Haw Counter-Revolution Polka", performed by Roy Clark, one of the co-stars of Hee Haw.). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Madison County, NC, Jewel of the Blue Ridge, Forum Policies, Rules, and Terms of Service. Lawrence Welk was an American television personality and musician born on March 11th, 1903. With that in mind, get a load of this: How can this be? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The 635A was my hand mic of choice and there were Beyer M-160s on . Ron Anderson, singer (19801982), Gail, Ron & Michael. . Then there was the time he accused a vocal group of being out of lip-sync guitar behind the piano player sure is weird All along he seems to be fingering correctly, but a huge white guitar pick is stuck in the strings down the neck!! Ive had nightmares. The Aldridge Sisters, singers (19771982). Ed insisted that the musical performers on his shows do completely live performance. Welk Goes Stereophonic" (advertisement), Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Lawrence Welk-Hee Haw Counter-Revolution Polka, Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, "The Lawrence Welk Show's Golden Anniversary", "Songs About Pot: A Proposition 19 Playlist", The Lawrence Welk Show was TVs best partyuntil it wasnt, "America's Biggest Little Band Made History" by Jay Landers, Lawrence Welk Music Arrangements database, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lawrence_Welk_Show&oldid=1137514403, 1,065 (black-and-white, 1951 to September 1965; in color from September 1965 onwards to 1982), 1991 "A Champagne Toast to the Big Bands", 1992 "The Lennon Sisters: Easy to Remember", 1993 "From the Heart: A Tribute to Lawrence Welk and the American Dream", 1994 "The Lawrence Welk Holiday Special: Great Moments & Memories", 1995 "A Lawrence Welk Family Christmas", 1997 "From Lawrence Welk: To America With Love", 1998 "Lawrence Welks Favorite Holidays", 2000 "Lawrence Welk Milestones & Memories", 2003 "Lawrence Welk: God Bless America", The show is one of two that serve as the main subjects of the 1972 song ". He was one of the original Mouseketeers. I know a lot of musicians, jazz and otherwise, and even in the 60s it seems like they would have been going backstage and talking smack about how awful the show was. I also once read a book by a musician who told a story about when he flew into town to play on a Lawrence Welk show. In 1960, Geritol (a multivitamin) took over sponsorship; Sominex (sleep aid), Aqua Velva (aftershave), Serutan (laxative), Universal Appliances (manufacturer of home appliances), Polident (a denture cleanser), Ocean Spray (fruit juice) and Sinclair Oil (automobile fuel) were some of the other companies or brands which served as associate sponsors for a short time. It is assumed the color episodes exist intact. The Lawrence Welk Show continued on as a first-run syndicated program shown on 250 stations across the country until the final original show was produced in 1982, when Welk decided to retire. To the pianist he hears rehearsing: Although his polka playing accordion talents led people to believe that Welk was Polish, his parents actually emigrated from France to Russia and then to the United States, resulting in a mixed German and middle European twang. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. One such story, related by Jo Ann Castle on The Mike Douglas Show,[citation needed] has him introducing a medley of World War I tunes as "songs from World War Eye". Well into her nineties at the rest home, she Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ", To the band, just before going on the air: Later, he was a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show. During its network run, The Lawrence Welk Show aired on ABC on Saturday nights at 9 p.m. ( Eastern Time ), moving up a half-hour to 8:30 p.m. in the fall of 1963. They're cheap in nice shape and superb sounding. ", Referring to a singing duo he first heard perform at a nightclub: "That's not my cup of dish. Kathie Sullivan's "Secret Love" is from "Calamity Jane," more a Western than Country song. He is best remembered for hosting for many years the TV program The Lawrence Welk Show . ", When an audience was not responding with generous applause: [1] Early life [ edit] / CBS News. The film was a retrospective on Welk's life and career, featuring interviews with surviving members of Welk's "musical family", and scenes from the show; it was part of a new approach to pledge drive programming that aimed to lure donors with popular music and nostalgia, an approach that has since become standard at other public television stations. Mary Beth always said funny things, and you could "Why do you do that? When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. He was the first black to appear as a regular performer on a primetime television show. For the entire run, musical numbers were divided fairly evenly between prerecorded lip- and finger-sync performances and those recorded live on film . From then onward, Bob Warren handled announcing duties. I always thought that the lip-synching and mime playing was painfully obvious, and my suspicions were confirmed when watching the interview segments on the PBS re-runs. Beginning with the 19651966 season, the episodes were recorded in color. Welk often demonstrated multiple times on-camera how the champagne bottle sound was created, by placing a finger in his mouth, releasing it to make the popping sound, and making a soft hissing sound to simulate the bubbles escaping the bottle. Most episodes shown on PBS stations today are from around 1965 to 1982 (the majority being from the syndicated run), but some older black and white episodes were added to the rotation in recent years and can be found on YouTube. Dale was 88. During that time EV 666s were replaced by RE15s. "The Lawrence Welk Show" for more than three decades: To the accordionist: The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". When the show debuted nationwide, The Lawrence Welk Show was billed as the Dodge Dancing Party in 1955 and 1956. The Mickey Mouse Club, The Lawrence Welk Show. Is Glennon Doyle Still Married To Abby Wambach? Welk was famous for his catchphrase Wunnerful, wunnerful! and his song introduction of Ah one, and ah two, and ah The music on the show ranged from polka tunes to novelty songs to big band standards. In fact, Welk headlined two weekly prime-time shows on ABC for three years. One of the PBS re-runs dedicated a large portion of an episode to mistakes in the dancing and comedy bits where the taping always continued and were included in the aired show, because Welk did not approve of re-takes. Special musical guests were a rare and irregular occurrence; these ranged from Henry Mancini to more contemporary artists such as banjoist Eddie Peabody, surf rock group The Chantays, novelty artist Stan Boreson, and country singers Charley Pride and Barbara Mandrell. She also gets some time in for her drummer husband. Songs such as "Cotton Candy and a Toy Balloon" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" are featured. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 3 Why did the Semonski sisters leave Welk? and Ah-One, Ah-Two! Are Guy Hovis and Ralna English still married? Neither the Welk Organization nor the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority have released any episodes of The Lawrence Welk Show on home video, nor are there any plans to do so. no re-takes. After two years and a string of short-lived vocalists, Norma Zimmer was hired, starting in 1960. Zimmer stayed with Welk for the rest of the show's run. affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, and TVG. ", "There are good days and there are bad days, and this is one of them. English and Hovis divorced in 1984 but have continued to perform together in concert venues. Sure, LW probably believed this was just a modern spiritual; but what about Gayle and Dale? His father sold a cow to pay for Welk's first accordion. Calcutta, Yellow Bird, Apples & Bananas, Winchester Cathedral, Last Date, Baby Elephant Walk) sound exactly the same on the show as they do on the original records. ", Referring to rock mucic: The four original Lennon Sisters wrote their autobiography Same Song, Separate Voices which was originally published in 1985 and updated a decade later. For 23 of its 27 years on the air, the show would originate there. "That's no excuse. The primary sponsor of The Lawrence Welk Show was Dodge (automobile maker). Dick Dale, a singer best known for his appearances on the Lawrence Welk television program, died Friday in Algona, the Mason City Globe-Gazette has reported. For certain songs (mainly the instrumentals performed by the orchestra), the couples in attendance were also allowed to dance at the Ballroom. Netherton never married. James Hobson (also known as Jim Hobson) served longest as producer (19621982) and director of The Lawrence Welk Show. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It is occasionally shown on PBS stations; the PBS rebroadcast is introduced by Bobby Burgess and also Mary Lou Metzger. The 2007 wrap around features the Otwells, who recount their Welk and post-Welk career. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Classic Welk-isms, as compiled by Dick Wilson, a sound mixer who worked on "The Lawrence Welk Show" for more than three decades: To the accordionist: . He played saxophones and clarinets. After he fired Lon, thousands of letters filled the ABC mailroom, demanding an apology, and that she be rehired. He had a particular admiration for those composers contemporary with him, such as Hoagy Carmichael, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, and Harry Warren; although the show's repertoire was in reality much broader, and would often include pop songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970sWelk even devoted an entire show to the music of the 1970s in 1978as well as country music, patriotic music, and religious music, especially if it was thought to appeal to older listeners (and, as Welk stated in 1956, "as long as it's done in the champagne style"). Maybe a backup singer off the camera and Dale is lip-synching? If this is live, I have never seen anything like this! Ive seen dead bodies. Norma Zimmer (July 13, 1923 - May 10, 2011) was an American vocalist, best remembered for her 22-year tenure as Lawrence Welk's "Champagne Lady" on The Lawrence Welk Show. Almost all of the music performed on the show was done in-house by the show's "Musical Family." Among the performers that were wildly popular with audiences during the years it was on ABC were The Lennon Sisters, Joe Feeney, Steve Smith, Larry Hooper, Jo Ann Castle and electric guitarist Buddy Merrill, just to name a few. (LogOut/ The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Does Algae Pond Scum Have Specialized Cells? ANSWER: It wasnt widely publicized, but the couple divorced in 1984, two years after leaving the show. You play too many notes already. The guitarist and bassist are really hip. Is the Lawrence Welk show still on TV? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Unfortunately there are no concert dates for The Lennon Sisters scheduled in 2021. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Why did Calypso not show up to Davy Jones? While the show was highly rated and continued to attract more audiences, ABC canceled it in 1971 for two reasons. One of the most prominent positions in the Musical Family was the "Champagne Lady", who always sang a down-tempo solo number toward the end of each show. [12] The shows are occasionally "recut" and interspersed with segments from other episodes for time and diversity purposes; for example, a rebroadcast of Gail Farrell's 1969 debut featured an added song by Anacani, who did not join the show until 1973. Once a couple of studios at the ABC Prospect and Talmadge facilities had been converted to color in 1966, the show moved back there. [20] Hobson died on April 26, 2013, in Santa Monica Hospital, California. the Amazon Associates Program via amazon.com. The first was that the network had to cut three-and-a-half hours per week of prime-time programming, owing to the institution of the Prime Time Access Rule in 1971; the other was the fact that Welk's viewership was mostly of people over forty-five, mostly because of the music he chose to play, but also because younger viewers, the core viewing target that networks coveted, were either out during the Saturday night slot, or were watching one of the other networks. Is Bobby from the Mickey Mouse Club still alive? He began hosting it in 1955 till later in 1982. A further reason was a dispute over what kind of songs she would be singing, and since Welk insisted on playing what he felt his audiences wanted to hear, generally older "standards", she rebelled against such restrictions. "A Television First! The Welk show was an all-white folks show until 1964 when African-American tap dancer Arthur Duncan was hired as a weekly regular. [18], Tap dancer Arthur Duncan became the second African-American to appear regularly on a sponsored television variety program, and the first since 1951, when he was hired as a permanent music maker by Welk in 1964. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Surviving episodes on YouTube are posted constantly with full shows and clips in all ranges of video quality, while most are ripped from the reruns of the show on TV, some videos on YouTube, do contain original unseen content (on the reruns) of the show. Dale was 88. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. On Welk's longevity, Armisen asked, "Could it be seen as something a little bit like what the Grateful Dead did? An obituary appeared on the Nashville Funeral and Cremation web site. He was 89 years old. The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. They went stereo at one point. Welk, himself, seems clearly unironic, and Im pretty sure that most people who watch it, or at least who watched it at the time, liked it without irony; but I really wonder about the musicians, singers, dancers and so on. Guy Hovis and Ralna English the only married couple ever featured together on TVs The Lawrence Welk Show may not have found lasting harmony at home, but three decades after their 15-year marriage ended in divorce, the singing duo known as Guy & Ralna continue to harmonize onstage, as they will when they play .