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Famous television bandleader Lawrence Welk was host of The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. First off, my thanks to Paul Pape for alerting me to this. There were musical skits, polka, ballroom dancing and bubbles. One of the most successful and fondly-remembered shows in TV history, "The Lawrence Welk Show" featured musical numbers and skits, with host Welk leading the band.One of the most successful and fondly-remembered shows in TV history, "The Lawrence Welk Show" featured musical numbers and skits, with host Welk leading the band.One of the most successful and fondly-remembered shows in TV history, "The Lawrence Welk Show" featured musical numbers and skits, with host Welk leading the band. For this reason, it was a family program, but it also appealed heavily to an older demographic. I remember it all, the bubbles, the goony smiling happy weird people singing and singing AND singing. I was in my early teens in 1955 when the Lawrence Welk show debuted on that also-adolescent medium called television. With the combined efforts of Welk's agent Sam Lutz and producer Don Fedderson with sponsorship from Dodge automobiles, Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers made their national debut in July of 1955. "Aug. 7 is the last one.". The End of the World: Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra: 1963: Skeeter Davis: The First Noel: Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra: 1961: Tally-Ho! The show itself made the transition from broadcasting in black & white to that in color as viewers got to see how colorful the show got, and it wasn't just the outfits they wore! Dreams do come true, even for someone who couldn't speak English and never had a music lesson or much of an education. The once-popular show ran between 1955 to 1982, including 27 seasons on the ABC network, and still remains popular in reruns. Earlier this summer, a North Dakota TV station honored him on the 70th anniversary of his television debut in 1951. When the network canceled the show, it was not because his audience had become any less devoted to his 27-piece band, but because they were older and considered less desirable to advertisers. Survivors include two sisters, Cherry Key of Naples and Katharine Vier of Stuart, Fla. Charlene Gregory Snyder, 65, who was a nurse and supervisory nurse at Alexandria Hospital from 1956 to 1970, died of cancer May 17 at George Washington University Hospital. There was ballroom dancing, the waltz and the fox trot, to tunes that encouraged listeners in living rooms throughout the nation to leave their couches and try a few steps themselves. Since then, the Welk portfolio has grown exponentially to include eight timeshare resorts, including Escondido, as well as locations in Cathedral City near Palm Springs; Lake Tahoe where there are two properties; Branson, Mo. In the . It was around this time in 1931 that he married the love of his life, Fern Renner. When ABC dropped The Lawrence Welk Show in 1971, Welk independently arranged a syndication deal that kept him on the air for another 11 years and made him one of the richest entertainers in. When the show is shown in syndication on PBS, it contains color presentation clips filmed and hosted by surviving members of the Welk musical family. Once the still pending sale is finalized by early in the second quarter Marriott says it plans to rebrand the Welk vacation resorts in California, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico and Cabo San Lucas as Hyatt Residence Club properties. Throughout the series, his tap routines were beloved staples of the . Our Los Angeles station, KABC-TV, put him on the air locally at 9 Saturday night. For twenty-seven years, the Lawrence Welk show came into our living rooms on Saturday night, sponsored first by Dodge, then Geritol (dont laugh! Gail Farrell, Mary Lou Metzger, and Champagne Lady Norma Zimmer sparkled and shone with their wholesome beauty and talent. From 1951-1982 Welk basically hosted a 1940s style radio show but for television. Lawrence Welk came to fame decades earlier as a big band leader; his TV program became popular quite quickly. In 1984, he found a 13-year-old runaway in Times Square, and took the child to California and molested him there, as reported by the LA Times. To earn a leadership role in the school's international youth exchange organization called American Field Service (AFS) Club, he partook in the AFS intercultural program. on this blog. All written content, unless otherwise noted as being quotes, has been written and copyrighted by me. He retired from the Government National Mortgage Association in 1979 after 37 years of federal service. During his college years, he was hired as one of the entertainers at the Edgewater Inn restaurant's floor show called Edgewater Eight. We see that you have javascript disabled. Topo Gigio was a regular on The Ed Sullivan Show from his first appearance in 1962 to the end of the show's run in 1971. And sometimes, they escape punishment for their alleged crimes altogether an infamous example being OJ Simpson. In 1939, Lawrence hired Lois Best as his first full-time "Champagne Lady" and a year later, booked his orchestra for a long term engagement at the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, which lasted nine years. In 1971, ABC canceled The Lawrence Welk Show, feeling that its target audience was growing too old to appeal to advertisers. Lawrence Welk was an old band leader with a strange accent who had trouble reading cue . Last night, on my selected show from 1974, Mr. Welk proudly exclaimed that the big-bands were reportedly staging a comeback, quickly adding that we never left! Indeed, Lawrence Welk had been in the big-band game since 1924 when he left the farm in North Dakota to seek success in the music business. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In the meantime, Welk who died in 1992 at age 89 made pit stops at the (World's Only) Corn Palace in Mitchell and to visit his favorite pen pal, Edna Stoner, in Beresford, South Dakota. In 1944, she transferred to the National Bureau of Standards. According to his wife, Carole Carbone, his cause of death was a stroke and pneumonia. A man who got his start at North Dakota barn dances and spent years on ballroom bandstands across the country, he was known for a friendly demeanor, simple melodies and unswerving dedication to giving large and admiring family audiences the kind of entertainment they wanted and understood. Mrs. Snyder, who lived in Alexandria, was a Washington native. Welk was known for starting his performances with the now-famous line "ah-one an' ah-two." Rosalind Weiss Berman, known as Rose Weiss (January 28, 1921 - August 22, 2019), was the costume director for the ABC and then syndicated musical television series, The Lawrence Welk Show.She designed wardrobes for all the performers during its entire run of the program from 1955 to 1982. Among them is a still undeveloped 22-acre site near Poipu beach in Kauai that is entitled for 168 timeshare units or condominiums. No one worked harder to keep his audience happy than Lawrence Welk. The joyous grin on his face completed the picture of a man lost in his music, oblivious to everything else. Duncan was best known for being one of the first African American regulars on a TV variety show, joining The Betty White Show in 1954. 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A home-taught musician who worked to overcome shyness in his early career, Mr. Welk became a prosperous businessman who syndicated his show after the network dropped it. He released an EP in 2020 and his most recent album was released in 2016. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, television, and live-performance audiences. The Lawrence Welk Show Original title: The Dodge Dancing Party TV Series 1955-1982 TV-G 1 h IMDb RATING 7.0 /10 481 YOUR RATING Rate Family Music One of the most successful and fondly-remembered shows in TV history, "The Lawrence Welk Show" featured musical numbers and skits, with host Welk leading the band. Dream, Speak English, Lessons. . While Welk was an inaugural recipient (along with actress Dorothy Stickney) of the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, the Strasburg Svengali counted pivotal moments one Dakota to the south, including his first show away from home (Ipswich), his many years in Yankton, and that time his band walked out on him (in Dallas, South Dakota). As The Lawrence Welk Show fit into this category, ABC ended its run in 1971. Tom Netherton was an American singer best recognized for his regular appearances in the musical variety showThe Lawrence Welk Showfrom 1973 to 1982. var cid='2438531626';var pid='ca-pub-3621518944223410';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3-0';var ffid=2;var alS=2021%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);container.style.width='100%';var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;if(ffid==2){ins.dataset.fullWidthResponsive='true';} He and his wife, Fern, had three children, Shirley Jean, Donna Lee and Lawrence Jr. Kathie Sullivan, singer (1976-1982) Jim Turner, guitarist/singer (1979-1982) Jayne Walton Rosen, Champagne Lady (1940-1945) Andra Willis, singer (1967-1969) Read more about this topic: The . "It was not an easy decision to make," said Fritz Miller, SDPB's director of marketing, who told Forum News Service about the decision last month, noting the show's renewal has biennially set off a hemming-and-hawing session among staff. March 11, 2014 Examined Jun 29 May 25 What's next for abortion rights in America? Several of the musicians were regular soloists: Bob Ralston on piano, Henry Cuesta on clarinet, and Myron Floren on accordion were as good as it gets as musicians. His mother was Lillian (Christensen) Netherton, and his father was Thomas, a United States Army officer. Then in 1955, the ABC network came calling. Lawrence Welk was the sixth of nine children born to Ludwig and Christina Welk, immigrants from the Odessa region of Russia. The live band could be so overpowering he would prerecord his taps to ensure the audience could hear it alongside his routine. China sets annual economic growth target at around 5% as country recovers from COVID disruption. Bob Havens Trombonist and singer on "The Lawrence Welk Show" (1960-1982) Bob Ralston Pianist and organist on "The Lawrence Welk Show" . Ratings started low the first week, but quickly zoomed upwards. The once-popular show ran between 1955 to 1982, including 27 seasons on the ABC network, and still remains popular in reruns. Bandleader Lawrence Welk, the North Dakotan with the accordionists and baton and hour-long television special, may finally be signing off after nearly a century on South Dakota's radio and television waves. The group was comprised of seriously fine musicians, many of whom were with Mr. Welk for ten, twenty, even thirty years. Netherton appeared on theshow for nearly a decade. Thousands of fans met him at Friendship Airport, and. Watching the old Lawrence Welk television shows on PBS is like traveling through a time-machine for those of us who grew up during the era of the nineteen fifties, sixties, and on into the eighties. In 1984, Welk, who died in 1992, made his foray into the vacation ownership industry. Get U-T Business in your inbox on Mondays. As good a female singer as any I have ever heard was Ralna English whose distinctive, effortless vocals soared as she visibly sparkled in the intimate camera close-ups which were hallmarks of Welk telecasts. Through the miracle of television, we can still see and hear them perform once again, forty, fifty, or sixty years later, just as they did live. The graceful athleticism of dancers Arthur Duncan, Bobby Burgess, Cissy King, and Mary Lou Metzger is undiminished by time. You also have the benefit of their loyalty guest members and the economies of scale and buying power of Hyatt, which can negotiate much better rates with online travel agencies like Expedia.. Bobby Burgess. Since then, for nearly a century, Welk has been broadcast in one form or another on a national radio show out of Pittsburgh and Chicago, then, beginning in 1955, on ABC out of Los Angeles. The Lawrence Welk Show began in July 1955 and was originally filmed in black and white and then it went into color September 18,1965. I am also the child of older parents (which was unusual back then) and oh we watched Lawrence Welk, and Hee Haw and all sorts of stuff. Welk had many singers and dancers as well with which to front the band. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II and in the Air Force during the Korean War. Only one of my friends have parents who also watched the show.In retrospect, I actually have a lot of appreciation now for Lawrence Welk, if I were to catch footage of his band playing, say, a medley of Glenn Miller songs. Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 - May 17, 1992) was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982. At a time when segregation was still common, some viewers attempted to get him fired, but Betty White wouldnt allow it. "It is my experience that people like a certain amount of both. It was fun! Welk was very upset. It would end . One important attraction of the show was Mr. Welk's own obvious enthusiasm for it. "We've been airing 'The Lawrence Welk Show' on tptLife since September '94," wrote Sherry Meek, Director of Programming for Twin Cities PBS, in an email. He settled in the Washington area in 1946 and graduated from American University, from which he also received a master's degree in accounting. When she left the government, Mrs. Massie became the volunteer executive director of the D.C. Women's Commission for Crime Prevention, which was organized by the D.C. State Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs and the D.C. Federation of Women's Clubs. I think it is an old-time name and it appeals to a much older demographic, said Reay, president of the Atlas Hospitality Group. But station officials say that number has dropped off over the last five years, especially over the last year as the pandemic has sent more viewers to digital spaces. Ms. English and then-husband, Guy Hovis, performed many memorable duets as well across the full musical spectrum. After appearing on the Arthur Godfrey 's Talent Scouts (1948) (aka "Arthur Godfrey All-American College Bowl") during college, she joined The Lawrence Welk Show (1955) in May 1970, first in chorus numbers and later singing with Bob Lido and the "Hotsy Totsy Boys", trio arrangements with Gail Farrell and Sandi Griffiths, various solo numbers, and Netherton was discharged from the Army in 1969. That is quite a tribute to the man and his impact on America. 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. Harry James was a prodigy, a virtuoso trumpet player as a youngster capable of handling lead trumpet with any top jazz/swing band in the early days, yet he did not receive an offer from Mr. Welk ostensibly because the only instrument he played was trumpet! Fans protested, flooded the network's switchboard with calls of support for the Maestro along with over a million pieces of mail. The Best Things Often Come in Small Packages! Thank goodness for the PBS re-runs. Feb. 3, 1991 12 AM PT In 1955, Goldenson found another prime-time prospect on ABC's Los Angeles affiliate, KABC-TV. 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Super corny. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',133,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',133,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1');.large-leaderboard-2-multi-133{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. The show was on Saturdays on ABC until 1971 when the show left ABC and went into first run syndication Saturdays with new episodes being syndicated until 1982 when the show began showing reruns until 1983 then in 1985 there was a Reunion Special and the show . After a . Seen here is a Mountain Villas unit at the Welk Resorts property in Escondido. SINCE 1955, LAWRENCE WELK BROUGHT MUSIC AND HAPPINESS TO MILLIONS OF TELEVISION VIEWERS COAST TO COAST AND BEYONDTHIS IS HIS STORY. On July 2, 1955, The Lawrence Welk Show debuted on the ABC television network, where it ran until 1971. Later, he spent the summer of 1973 as one of the cast members of a musical revue calledMedora Musical. :). . In addition to his television appearances, he released 13 albums and toured extensively as a Christian recording artist. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',164,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0_1');.medrectangle-4-multi-164{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Good to know I wasn't the only one, because back then it sure felt like I was! Back in the early days of television up until the early '70a, ABC featured THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW. Ah one, and ah two, no more. His parents were born in Alsace, now part of France but once part of Germany. The very worst thing you could say about it was that it was like chicken soup--it couldnt hurt you. Your email address will not be published. May 19, 1992. Welk was known for his staple responses to his performers such as, Wasnt that just wunnerful? And then there was, Wunnerful, wunnerful. Yes, it seemed somewhat staid and square even back then, but in the harsh glare of todays attitudes, watching Welk and his shows is a timeless reminder of a simpler time, a time when true talent and professionalism made an impression on audiences. San Diego leaders discuss, Businessman Perry Johnson announces 2024 presidential bid, San Diego rent increases are slowing. Your email address will not be published. She was born on August 26, 1903, the 13th of 14 children born to Elizabeth and Mathias Renner, an immigrant family in St. Anthony, North Dakota. Lawrence Welk passed away in 1992, ten years after the last installment of "The Lawrence Welk Show.". 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. This is presumably done to pad the show out to the length it would be with commercial breaks. Along with a group of dancers and singers who came to be known as the Welk Family, the musical guests were as far removed from the popular singers of the time (the show started in the 50s, but had its heyday in the 60s and 70s): The Lennon Sisters, Joe Feeney, Lynn Anderson, and Larry Hooper, to name a few. The couple would have two daughters, Shirley and Donna, and a son, Larry Jr. During the "Dirty Thirties," his band began to take shape, especially on one faithful night in 1938 at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh where the name "Champagne Music" came into being because a patron described Welk's music as being "light and bubbly like champagne.". Norma Zimmer took the reins as Champagne Lady and the JB Williams Company (makers of Geritol, Sominex and Aqua Velva) replaced Dodge as the show's sponsor which itself was now billed as simply The Lawrence Welk Show. I, too, was a child of older parents. Desire, Improvement, Kind. From its move to network television in 1955 until the very early 1960s, the show's primary sponsor was Dodge. The show's host, Welk, considered Netherton, who proclaimed himself as 'born again Christian,' fulfilled the image Welk wanted on his family-friendly show. Matty brought some samples and showed him that Geritol was mostly vitamins, including iron. keep it up :). Today, were a bit better about prosecuting celebrity abusers. asked Clarence Shoemaker, 82, of Gregory, South Dakota, when told the news earlier this week. Lawrence Welk, (born March 11, 1903, Strasburg, N.D., U.S.died May 17, 1992, Santa Monica, Calif.), American bandleader and accordion player, whose effervescent brand of "champagne music" was featured for more than 30 years on his successful show, one of the longest-running programs on television (1955-71). I'm sorry to hear that anybody couldn't appreciate how fabulously skilled those virtuoso musicians on the Lawrence Welk show were. Get ready for your week with the weeks top business stories from San Diego and California, in your inbox Monday mornings. May 03 The new battle for voting rights May 02 9:26 How we can build a clean and renewable future Apr 19 4:31 Bandleader Lawrence Welk, the North Dakota-born accordion player whose bubbly "champagne music" and indefatigably wholesome style made his long-running television program an American . The Lawrence Welk Show closing credits ahoneanatwo 3.69K subscribers Subscribe 486K views 14 years ago The closing number and credits from a Lawrence Welk Show episode from 1971, so. Since then he has been seen in reruns. His wife, Gwendolyn B. Parker, died in 1972. i: The Good Life: It first aired locally in Los Angeles, broadcast by a Paramount station, but when it went national in 1955, it switched to ABC. After completing high school, Anacani's career took a new turn when she and her family went to the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, California, where she was discovered by bandleader Lawrence Welk himself. Bob Ralston hosts a #NewYear's celebration on The #LawrenceWelkShow tonight at 7pm, with special guests the Lennon Sisters and more pic.twitter.com/R8SxCxLkVp. On April of 1982, the final regular episode of the series aired when Lawrence decided to hang up his baton for good. "You'd never know she just had a baby." Welk quickly secured a syndication deal that placed his show on over 200 stations around the country, and kept right on producing it up through 1982. When we changed our network strategy to go after younger audiences, we took Welk off the air, in 1971, even though he had 16 years of solid ratings. "For $3,500," he exclaimed, "I vill talk.". Regulars like guitarist Buddy Merrill, vocalist Jimmy Roberts and Larry Hooper along with Champagne Lady Alice Lon became household names as the titled "Dodge Dancing Party" became a hit in the Neilson ratings. Duncan is survived by his wife, his stepson Sean Carbone, a brother, and two sisters. The Lawrence Welk Show was a variety show that began airing in 1951. Stars Lawrence Welk Myron Floren In his early days, shyness and self-consciousness about his heavily accented English and lack of formal education made him a reluctant master of ceremonies for his band. An accordion that was a family heirloom and occasionally played by his father, Ludwig, helped whet an early interest in music. The three-time Emmy winner designed all . What Was Ed Sullivans Worth at the Time of His Death? The program had outlived Dodges interests in it. He also belonged to the Sanctuary Chorus, a Washington religious singing group, and the Hands Together Club, a neighborhood improvement organization. He also hosted a show of his own for more than two decades. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The original Escondido resort location has grown over the years, encompassing 450 acres where there are two 18-hole golf courses, seven swimming pools, a fitness center, five recreation centers, two waterslides, two escape rooms, a spa, theater and restaurants. Author of Autobiography Book 'In the Morning of My Life', Guy Penrod - Health, Children, Net Worth & Wife. And a Welk-related publicist with the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, who has produced the show since the 1980s, doesn't buy the ratings decline, either. Upon closing out the final episode and asking Eddie to "Keesa me goo'night!" one last time, Topo Gigio went on to appear in magazines, animated cartoons and even his own full length motion picture. He was a waiter at the Congressional Hotel from 1961 to 1971 and then at the National Democratic Club until retiring in 1978. Science expo at Petco Park on Saturday featured games, music, learning and the promise of well-paying jobs, Prosecutors and attorneys for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried are requesting the disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur be allowed a flip-phone or another device thats not a smartphone while on bail, The Biden administration is close to tightening rules on some overseas investments by American companies, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. It was during the decade that dancers Bobby Burgess and Barbara Boylan joined the show along with Arthur Duncan in 1964 as the show's first featured African-American performer with his skills as a tap dancer. In 1996, Welk was ranked #43 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. I love the big-band sound, and aside from periodic doses of schmaltz, Welks band could and did deliver. "Arthur, did you have a nice weekend?" Betty White asked Arthur Duncan. Pioneering tap dancer and singer Arthur Duncan, celebrated for his time on The Lawrence Welk Show and The Betty White Show, passed away earlier this month at the age of 97. In 2019, Hyatt generated $50 million in timeshare sales, while Welks volume was $130 million, he noted. After he married in 1930, he tried to cut back on travel by turning to business, becoming successively the manager of a hotel, a restaurant and a music store. Nevermind the saccharine-sweet and, sometimes just plain obnoxious skits; the Lawrence Welk Show ran nationally on ABC for nearly 28 years. The Lawrence Welk Show: Forever Young Wunnerful, Wunnerful, Battle Aces from the 1930s; My Fathers Aviation Legacy, Running to Daylight: Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. That's because South Dakota Public Broadcasting, which has carried reruns of "The Lawrence Welk Show" since 1986, has opted not to renew another two-year run of the program, citing declining viewership. I do not in any way claim the rights of ownership to any of them. Other public TV stations in neighboring states still carry the show, such as Nebraska and North Dakota. He died on 7 January 2018 at age 71. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_1',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0'); After his military discharge, he eventually decided to become a Christian singer. Mrs. Massie, a Washington resident for almost 60 years, was born in Bluefield, W.Va. She graduated from Concord College in Athens, W.Va. She moved to Washington in 1934. Later in his life, he also released an autobiographical book titled 'In the Morning of My Life' in 1979. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. She had previously appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (1948) (aka "Arthur Godfrey All-American College Bowl") during college and was recommended to Welk by the show's producer. The show became a Saturday night institution for many Americans.