WELKNOTES
LAWRENCE WELK AND THE CHAMPAGNE MUSIC MAKERS
TELEVISION YEARS 1955 - 1982


INSTRUMENT/TALENT/POSITION
NAME
YEARS ON SHOW
D = now deceased
CONDUCTOR / LEADER
LAWRENCE WELK
1927-1982-D
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
GEORGE CATES
1951-1982-D
CLARINET/SAXOPHONE/FLUTE/PICCOLO










 

ORIE AMADEO
GEORGE AUBRY
BILL PAGE
DICK DALE
JACK MARTIN
PETE FOUNTAIN
RUSS KLEIN
JACK DUMONT
DON BONNEE
MAHLON CLARK
BOB DAVIS
DAVE EDWARDS
PEANUTS HUCKO
HENRY CUESTA
SKEETS HERFURT
1947-1970-D
1951-1957-D
1951-1965
1951-1982
1955-1959-D
1957-1959
1957-1982-D
1959-1962-D
1959-1965-D
1962-1968 -D
1965-1982
1968-1979-D
1970-1972-D
1972-1982-D
1979-1982-D
STEEL GUITAR/GUITAR/BANJO
BUDDY MERRILL
1955-1974
BANJO/GUITAR
NEIL LEVANG
1959-1982
ACCORDION
(ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR)
MYRON FLOREN
1950-1982-D
GUEST ACCORDION
JOEY SCHMIDT
1978-1982
TROMBONE











 

BARNEY LIDDELL
PETE LOFTHOUSE
KENNY TRIMBLE
JIMMY HENDERSON
BOB HAVENS
DON STAPLES
1948-1982-D
1953-1965-D
1955-1982-D
1957-1959-D
1960-1982
1966-1982
ORGAN/PIANO
 
JERRY BURKE
BOB RALSTON
1934-1965-D
1963-1982
PIANO - SINGER
LARRY HOOPER
1948-1982-D
PIANO - ARRANGER
FRANK SCOTT
1956-1969-D
PIANO
BOB SMALE
1969-1982
RAGTIME/HONKEY TONK PIANO
BIG TINY LITTLE
JO ANN CASTLE
1955-1959
1959-1969
TRUMPETS



















 

ROCKY ROCKWELL
GEORGE THOW
NORMAN BAILEY
WOODY GUIDRY
ART DEPEW
WARREN LUENING
DICK CATHCART
CHARLEY PARLATO
JIM PORTER
MICKEY McMAHAN
RUBIN ZARCHY
RAY LINN
JOHNNY ZELL
LAROON HOLT
1951-1962
1951-1982-D
1952-1973-D
1954-1956
1957-1965
1959-1960
1962-1968-D
1962-1982-D
1965
1966-1982 -D
1968
1968-1969-D
1968-1982
1973-1982
VIOLIN

















 

DICK KESNER
ALADDIN
BOB LIDO
BILLY WRIGHT
KURT DIETERLE
BERNARD KUNDELL
JIMMY GETZHOFF
HARRY HYAMS(VIOLA)
MISCHA RUSSELL
AMBROSE RUSSO
JOE LIVOTI
BOBBY BRUCE
1953-1960-D
1953-1967-D
1953-1982-D
1957-1959-D
1959-1961-D
1959-1961-D
1960-1962-D
1961-1982
1962-1964-D
1962-1964-D
1962-1982-D
1964-1967
CELLO








 

STANLEY HARRIS
DAVID PRATT
CHARLOTTE HARRIS
ERNIE EHRHARDT
1959-1960-D
1959-1961-D
1961-1978
1978-1982
BASS/TUBA

 

BUDDY HAYES
BUDDY CLARK
RICHARD MALOOF
1954-1966-D
1966-1967-D
1967-1982
DRUMS
 
JOHNNY KLEIN
PAUL HUMPHREY
1950-1976-D
1976-1982
DRUMS/MARIMBA/DANCER
JACK IMEL
1957-1982
SINGERS (GROUPS)











 

LENNON SISTERS

DIANNE (16)
PEGGY (14)
KATHY (12)
JANET  ( 9)

1955-1968
SINGERS (GROUPS)













 

SEMONSKI SISTERS

DIANE
DONNA
JO ANNE
VALERIE
AUDREY
MICHELLE

1974-1977
SINGERS (GROUP)








 

ALDRIDGE SISTERS
SHERRY
SHEILA
1977-1982
 SINGERS (GROUP)
OTWELL TWINS
DAVID
ROGER
1977-1982
SINGERS (GROUP)










 

BLENDERS
BOB DUNCAN
GREG DIXON
JOHNNY JOHNSON
STEVE SMITH
PAUL SJOLUND
1965-1966
1965-1966
1965-1966
1965-1969
1966
SINGERS (MALE)














 

JIMMY ROBERTS
MAURICE PEARSON
LARRY DEAN
ALVIN ASHBY
JOE FEENEY
CLAY HART
KEN DELO
TOM NETHERTON
JIM TURNER
1954-1982-D
1956-1960
1956-1962
1957-1960-D
1957-1982-D
1969-1975
1969-1982
1973-1981
1979-1982
SINGERS (FEMALE)















 

NATALIE NEVINS
LYNN ANDERSON
ANDRA WILLIS
TANYA FALAN
SALLI FLYNN
SANDI GRIFFITHS
MARY LOU METZGER
ANACANI
AVA BARBER
KATHIE SULLIVAN
1965-1969
1967-1968
1967-1969
1967-1977
1968-1972
1968-1980
1970-1982
1972-1982
1974-1982
1976-1982
HUSBAND - WIFE












 

RALNA ENGLISH
GUY HOVIS

GAIL FARRELL
RON ANDERSON

SANG WITH:
MICHAEL REDMAN
1969-1982
1970-1982

1969-1982
1979-1982

1979-1982

DANCERS











 

BARBARA BOYLAN DIXON
BOBBY BURGESS
ARTHUR DUNCAN (TAP)
CISSY KING
ELAINE BALDEN
1961-1967

1961-1982
1964-1982

1967-1978
1979-1982

CHAMPAGNE LADIES













 

LOIS BEST
JAYNE WALTON
JOAN MOWERY
HELEN RAMSEY
ROBERTA LINN
ALICE LON
NORMA ZIMMER
1938-1939
1940-1946
1946-1947-D
1947-1949-D
1949-1953
1953-1959-D
1960-1982
PRODUCER
ED SOBOL
1955-1962-D
DIRECTOR
JAMES HOBSON
1955-1982
PRODUCER-DIRECTOR
JAMES HOBSON
1962-1982
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
JACK IMEL
1965-1982
BUSINESS AGENT
TED LENNON
1957-1990-D
MANAGER
SAM J. LUTZ
1947-1982-D
SYNDICATOR
DON FEDDERSON
1955-1992
SECRETARY
LOIS LAMONT
1945-1972-D
FAN MAIL- PERSONAL SECRETARY
MARGARET HERON
1961-PRESENT
CONTINUITY WRITER
GEORGE THOW
1960-1982-D
PUBLICITY WRITER
BERNICE McGEEHAN
1973-1993
ARRANGERS













 

HARRY LEWIS
LOU QUADLING
JOE HAYMES
JOE RIZZO
RICHARD MALTBY
JACK PLEIS
BOB BALLARD
1951-1958-D
1953-1959-D
1955-1958-D
1957-1982-D
1966-1968-D
1970-1982-D
1973-1982-D
COSTUME DESIGNER
ROSE WEISS
1959-1982
SET DESIGNER
CHUCK KOON
1955-1982-D
ANNOUNCER - TV
BOB WARREN
1961-1982
CHORAL DIRECTOR
PETER LANCE
1957-1959-D