Welk, Lawrence

(born March 11, 1903, Strasburg, N.D., U.S.—died May 17, 1992, Santa Monica, Calif.) U.S. bandleader and television performer. Born in a German-speaking village in North Dakota, he did not learn English until he was 21. He played the accordion and formed two musical groups that opened for bands and orchestras in the Midwest. Welk moved to Los Angeles, where his television program The Lawrence Welk Show (1955–71), which featured band music with vocalists, dancers, and instrumental soloists, became a huge success. The show was dropped by the network, but Welk continued it as Memories with Lawrence Welk (1971–82) after he was able to sign contracts with more than 250 independent television stations in the U.S. and Canada. Known for his unpretentious warmth and his trademark phrase “Wunnerful, wunnerful,” he played light, nostalgic “champagne music” and featured smiling performers such as the Lennon Sisters.

Welk, Lawrence (1903–92) bandleader; born in Strasburg, N.D. In the 1920s he developed what he called a sweet-sounding "champagne music" with his orchestra. He toured and appeared on radio in the 1930s and 1940s and in 1951 began hosting his own television show. Carried on network television until 1971, the show featured such traditional forms as tap and ballroom dancing, ragtime piano, and a variety of singing. He was a major publisher of music and the author of several books.