1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Joe Viterelli to Orson Welles

Lawrence Welk Biography (1903-1992)

Born March 11, 1903, in Strasburg, ND; died May 17, 1992; son of Ludwig (a blacksmith) and Christine (Schwab) Welk; married Fern Renner (a nurse), April 18, 1931; children: Shirley J. Welk Fredricks, Donna Welk Mack, Larry.Welk, who had been battling the effects of pneumonia, died peacefully on May 17, 1992at his home in Santa Monica, California, with his family at his side.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

March 11, 1903

Strasburg, North Dakota, United States

Death Details

May 17, 1992

Santa Monica, California

Famous Works

• Credits; TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Host, Champagne Music Makers, ABC, 1955.
• Host, The Lawrence Welk Show, ABC, 1955-71, syndicated, 1971-83, PBS, 1987--.
• Host, Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes and New Talent, ABC, 1955-59.
• Host, Memories with Lawrence Welk, syndicated, 1982-83.
• Appeared in the series Hi, I'm Glen Campbell, 1976.
• Credits; TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SPECIALS
• On Tour with Lawrence Welk, syndicated, 1985.
• Credits; FILM APPEARANCES
• Lost in America, Warner Bros., 1985.
• Good Morning, Vietnam, Buena Vista, 1987.
• Appeared in the movies Career Opportunities, 1991, and Straight Talk, 1992.
• Credits; ALBUMS
• Calcutta, Dot, 1961.
• Writings
• Guidelines for Successful Living, New American Library, 1969.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) Wunnerful, Wunnerful! The Autobiography of Lawrence Welk, Prentice-Hall, 1971.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) Ah-One, Ah-Two! Life With My Musical Family, Prentice-Hall, 1974.
• Lawrence Welk's Sing-a-Long Book, Crown, 1976.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) My America, Your America, Prentice-Hall, 1976.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) Lawrence Welk's Musical Family Album, Prentice-Hall, 1977.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) Lawrence Welk's Bunny Rabbit Concert (juvenile),Youth Publications, Saturday Evening Post, 1978.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) This I Believe, Prentice-Hall, 1979.
• (With Bernice McGeehan) You're Never Too Young, Prentice-Hall, 1981.
• Contributor to periodicals, including American Legion.

Further Reference

BOOKS

• Elwood, Roger, editor, Believing: Myron Floren and Friends' Scrapbook: Intimate Glimpses From the Lawrence Welk TV Family, Standard Publishing, 1980.

PERIODICALS

• Facts on File, May 21, 1992, p. 380.
• Maclean's, December 21, 1992, p. 54.
• Newsweek, June 1, 1992, p. 76.
• People Weekly, June 1, 1992, p. 103.
• Time, June 1, 1992, p. 27.
• Variety, May 25, 1992, p. 70.