# The Lawrence Welk Appreciation Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651 "2004-12-19T15:10:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/21 "2004-12-19T23:33:51Z")
> [@MercyStreet](#): > > Last year – I believe it was Christmas Eve – we stumbled across an Andy Williams family Christmas special. Let me tell you, it outwelked Welk. Could it have been worse than a Perry Como special? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/22 "2004-12-20T00:33:00Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > …ABC cancelled his show because the average viewer was over 65, which meant Welk couldn’t attract enough advertisers to make the show profitable. You mean all those Geritol and Ben Gay ads didn’t pay the bills? > [@Zebra](#): > > When I was a kid, watching Welk was a standard thing in my house. The weird thing is we watched it back to back with Hee-Haw. Sis? Is that you? 😃 My parents had the same viewing schedule. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/23 "2004-12-20T01:02:01Z")
I was half-watching the show while I waited for the six o’clock news to start, and I damn near fell out of my chair when Lawrence introduced the black tap dancer, as a credit to his race. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/24 "2004-12-20T03:07:43Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > My favorite Lawrence Welk story (probably apochryphal, since I never saw it first hand) is when he announced, “And now, we’ll do that wunnaful Duke Ellington favorite, ‘Take A Train!’” Color me ignorant, but what why would it be apochryphal? ---
**Author:** ![MercyStreet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@MercyStreet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MercyStreet)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/25 "2004-12-20T03:23:46Z")
_Color me ignorant, but what why would it be apochryphal?_ The piece’s title is “Take the **‘A’** Train.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/26 "2004-12-20T07:01:58Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > His accent was 100% real; though born in South Dakota he grew up speaking German and didn’t learn English until he was 21. Actually, he was a North Dakota native, and won his home state’s coveted [Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award.](http://www.governor.state.nd.us/awards/rr-gallery/welk.html) If you’re ever in Fargo, you can check out North Dakota State University’s [collection of Welk memorabilia.](http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/welk/) **twickster** : My dad is a veteran clarinet and sax man. He admits Welk’s style is corny, but says: “I’d have loved to have played in his band – from what I’ve heard, he paid his side men very well, because he was savvy enough to realize that they were all better musicians than he was.” So they’re not exactly excited to be performing those specific songs/arrangements, but they’re enjoying the fact they have fewer financial worries than the guy who’s playing what he loves but only taking home 20 bucks per gig while holding down a “real job” to pay the bills. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/27 "2004-12-20T12:00:33Z")
It is a hypnotic show. The chiffon. The helmutted haired Wimmen. The men who all look like Ken Dolls. But, I secretly think it is the accordian. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/28 "2004-12-20T14:49:03Z")
I marvel that these people are still alive. I just watched some of the Lawrence Welk special and there was Joe Feeney, the Irish Tenor singing “Danny Boy”. I thought Norma Zimmer was old when I was growing up. Just looked her up on the IMDB…turns out she’s only two years older than my dad…who is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/29 "2004-12-20T15:43:05Z")
In college during the 80s, I was taugh music history by a wonderful old jazz trombonist. Mr. Englan had played with just about everyone who ever had a band from 1945-1975. Well one day he was discussing the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and called it the “Lawrence Welk” of it’s day. And I just died laughing. And Mr. Englan got really, really angry. Guess who once played with Lawrence Welk? “Lawrence Welk is one of the highest respected band leaders!” and he made me stand up and defend my derision of such a greatly respected man and institution. So, there I stood, embarrassed, bewildered, blinking, “Come on, Mr. Englan. Bubbles everywhere? Bobby & Cindy? All the singers are teminally white and have too many teeth? The parts with just the orchestra were fine, but the rest was hilarious.” What a difference 50 years makes. I only knew the TV show and he only knew the music. We came to a truce: The music was pretty but the show was corny. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/30 "2004-12-20T15:51:02Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > have too many teeth Please explain how this is possible. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/31 "2004-12-20T15:59:46Z")
My grandmother, bless her soul, DANCED with Lawrence Welk on his show. It was one of the highlights of her life. Thanka you, boys. (My favorite was the perky, rolly polly, blonde lady that played polkas on the piano, but you guys are right - those guys are hot in a squeeky, clean, 70s era gay porn kind of way). ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/32 "2004-12-20T16:16:04Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Please explain how this is possible. [The too many teeth?](http://www.webspawner.com/users/welkfan71/) (Check out that gallery!) Genetic mutation? Alien inbreeding? My dad used to tell us that, instead of retainers to straighten their teeth, as kids all the singers on the LW show had to wear “mouth stretchers” so they could show all their teeth at one time. Don’t ask what he used to say about the Osmonds. And it’s Bobby and Cissy. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/33 "2004-12-20T17:30:21Z")
Ah, I see. I gotta try and catch this show-I love stuff like this. Didn’t he also pioneer the lyrics on screen with the little bouncing ball? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/34 "2004-12-20T17:30:37Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > My favorite was the perky, rolly polly, blonde lady that played polkas on the piano. Probably [Joann Castle](http://www.joanncastle.com/index.html). Personally, I had a crush on Ralna. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/35 "2004-12-20T17:43:42Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Didn’t he also pioneer the lyrics on screen with the little bouncing ball? Nope – that was Mitch Miller, of **Sing Along with Mitch**. Bonus trivia points if you know what instrument Mitch Miller played: The oboe. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/36 "2004-12-20T17:47:32Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > And it’s Bobby and Cissy. Sorry about that. Of course, you really meant “a-Bobby an’ a-Cissy.” 🙂 **MsRobyn** , if you haven’t already missed it, check your TV listings to see if you can catch a version of their special Christmas show. This one will really leave you rolling in the floor. He shows his performers along with their families (including unattractive spouses, and grandchildren picking their noses, etc.) These always left us screaming. I really liked some of the performers though. He had a damned fine clarinetist (Henry Cuesta?). I thought Bobby was a good dancer, and though even though I don’t really care for tap dancing, I really liked the tap dancer guy. He has one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve seen. (We all used to giggle when he did what we called “the bird” in the midst of his routines. Technically, I’m sure it’s a difficult thing, but it’s rather ridiculous to watch.) The real sport of the thing, though, was to watch how Lawrence managed to take some reasonably attractive ladies (and some who were downright gorgeous) into hideous monstrosities by putting them in bridesmaids dresses from hell in colors and stylings that shouldn’t be allowed in nature. And I always like to hear him say the name “Myron Floren.” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/37 "2004-12-20T17:52:25Z")
> [@YWalker](#): > > (We all used to giggle when he did what we called “the bird” in the midst of his routines. Technically, I’m sure it’s a difficult thing, but it’s rather ridiculous to watch.) If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about – both feet go out to the side and the arms do a windmill thing? – they’re called wings and they’re insanely difficult. I’ve been tapping for 16 years and I have, at best, a decent fake for wings – I’ve actually done them properly maybe a dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/38 "2004-12-20T18:33:19Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > And it’s Bobby and Cissy. And, previously, Bobby and Barbara; much later Bobby and Elaine. I was surprised as heck to find out Bobby wasn’t gay. He married one of Myron Floren’s daughters, and ended up having a bunch of Florets with her. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/39 "2004-12-20T19:54:53Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Besides…Myron Florin, I couldn’t really find any redeeming value in it at all. But what more do you need? Jeeze, I’d sit through the whole show so I could get a dose of Myron. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651/40 "2004-12-20T20:01:02Z")
As a kid, I could only take about a minute of this show before being bored out of my gourd. I still think Lawrence Welk is mind-numbingly dull but now when I catch of glimpse of it while channel-surfing, I can’t help but feel a little sad. I think Lawrence Welk’s popularity among the over 65’s had a lot to do with the fact he represented the last of the style of music that was popular during the Big Band era. Granted, during much of the TV show’s run, there were people like Guy Lombardo who was on every New Year’s Eve and Count Basie who continued performing until his death in the 1980’s (and yes, I know their styles were very different so please don’t get after me for mentioning Lombardo and Basie in the same sentence), but Welk was the only one who was regularly on TV every week. For a lot of people who came of age during the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, Welk was the only outlet on TV for the type of music they grew up with (albeit, a very saccharine version of it). When most of them were young, they listened to such bandleaders as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, the Dorseys, the aforementioned Count Basie, and Glenn Miller. Now, all they had left was Welk. It got me wondering if sometime in the near-future, the hipper-than-thou Baby Boomer’s will spend their last years listening to some bland version of rock n’ roll being played by the Lawrence Welk of their generation. Or, God forbid, whether the same destiny lies ahead for me and my age group. :eek: > [@](#): > > Well one day he was discussing the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and called it the “Lawrence Welk” of it’s day. That’s not really accurate since Whiteman and Welk were near contempories. Also, whatever faults Whiteman had, he did have George Gershwin writing music for him (e.g., “Rhapsody in Blue” was written for Whiteman). I don’t think Welk ever had anybody of Gershwin’s caliber writing for him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lawrence-welk-appreciation-thread/280651.md?page=3)