Lawrence welk jr wikipedia
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Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was a musician, accordion player, bandleader, and television impresario, hosting "The Lawrence Welk Show" from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known to his large number of radio, television, and live-performance fans as "champagne music." He is a 1961 inductee of North Dakota's Roughrider Award. Contents
Lawrence was born in Strasburg, North Dakota, as one of nine children to Catholic, German-speaking immigrants from the French portion of Alsace-Lorraine, via Odessa, Ukraine.
The family lived on a homestead outside of town, which today still stands as a tourist attraction. The first year they lived there, they spent the cold South Dakota winter underneath an upturned wagon covered in sod. Never intent on being a farmer, Welk became interested in a career in music, convincing his father to purchase a mail-order accordion for $400. He made a promise to his father that he would continue to work on the farm unt
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It all started when…
Lawrence Welk was born to Ludwig and Christiana Welk in the German-speaking community of Strasburg, North Dakota, on March 11 of 1903. Lawrence was sixth of the Welk’s eight children and grew up helping on the family’s farm.
In addition to growing crops and raising chickens and cows, Lawrence’s father secured income by performing with his accordion at local barn dances. Stories suggest one of Lawrence’s first memories as a young child, is of his excitement at being allowed to press the keys of his father’s accordion.
Another well-noted story tells of a deal Lawrence struck with his father when he was 17 – Lawrence promised he would work on the family farm until he was 21-years-old if Ludwig would purchase him a $400 accordion.
After dutifully fulfilling this promise, Lawrence left home in 1924, at the age of 21, wearing a new jacket and carrying three dollars and his accordion.
Welk toured with a few bands, then formed his own band which was known firs
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Lawrence Welk
American bandleader and TV impresario (1903–1992)
This article is about the person. For his TV show, see The Lawrence Welk Show.
Lawrence Welk | |
|---|---|
Welk with his accordion, 1956 | |
| Born | (1903-03-11)March 11, 1903 Strasburg, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 1992(1992-05-17) (aged 89) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California |
| Alma mater | MacPhail Center for Music |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1924–1982 |
| Television | The Lawrence Welk Show |
| Spouse | Fern Veronica Renner (m. 1931) |
| Children | 3 |
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the easy listening music featured became known as "champagne music" to his radio, television, and live-