Who is Lawrence Welk? See Net-worth, Quote, Awards, Fact, Wiki

Lawrence Welk Wiki Biography

Lawrence Welk was born on the 11th March 1903, in The Bronx, New York City USA, and was a musician, television host and impresario, best known to the world as the host of his own show “The Lawrence Welk Show”, which aired from 1955 until 1982. Lawrence passed away in May 1992.

Have you ever wondered how rich Lawrence Welk was, at the time of his death? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Lawrence’s net worth was as high as $8 million, an amount he acquired through his successful career in the entertainment industry.

Lawrence Welk Net Worth $8 Million

Lawrence was of German and Ukrainian ancestry, as his parents were immigrants who settled in Strasburg, North Dakota. Lawrence was the third youngest of eight children born to Ludwig and Christiana Welk.

Growing up poor on a family farm, Lawrence left school in order to help his family. As he grew older, he fell in love with music, and was able to persuade his father to by him an accordion, but on the condition that Lawrence would work on the farm until 21 and all the money he would earn he would give to his father.

When he turned 21, Lawrence left the family home, and proudly began to pursue a career in music. In the beginning he played with big bands of North and South Dakota, before eventually starting a band of his own. In the 1930s, he became more confident in his talents, and led his own band touring across the USA. Little by little his name became more and more known in the music scene, mostly in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas, however, in the 1940s he and his band were regular guests at the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago, and later in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Before the end of the 1940s, the band had its own show on the ABC network, which lasted until 1951.

Lawrence started his own record label called Ranwood Records with Randy Wood, through which he released the majority of his songs. During his musical career, Lawrence released over 50 singles, many of which increased his popularity and net worth. Some of the most popular include “”I Won’t Tell a Soul”, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, “The Moon Is a Silver Dollar” No. 7, “Don’t Sweetheart Me” No 2., Oh Happy Day”, which was on the No. 5, “Calcutta”, an instrumental that topped the chart, and “Southtown, USA”, which was his last recording.

In 1955, he started his own show, “The Lawrence Welk Show”, which firstly aired only in Los Angeles for the first few years, however, from 1959 until 1982 it was aired nationally through the ABC network. It was a variety music show, which brought immense popularity to Lawrence, and was the main source of his net worth.

Because of his successful career and contribution to both television and music, Lawrence received numerous awards, including two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame in 1994, among many other awards.

Lawrence`s net worth also benefited from his career as a businessman, investing in numerous industries and companies, including real estate and music publishing, among others.
Lawrence died at his home, age 89, from bronchopneumonia; he left behind his wife of 71 years Fern Veronica Renner, and their three children.



Full Name Lawrence Welk
Net Worth $8 Million
Date Of Birth March 11, 1903, Strasburg, North Dakota, United States
Died May 17, 1992, Santa Monica, California, United States
Place Of Birth Bronx, New York
Profession Musician, Bandleader, Impresario
Nationality United States of America
Spouse Fern Renner (m. 1931–1992)
Children Shirley Welk, Donna Welk, Lawrence Welk Jr.
Parents Christina Welk,Ludwig Welk
Siblings John Welk,Eva Welk,Barbara Welk,Louie Welk,Ann Mary Welk,Anton Welk,Mike Welk,Agatha Welk
Nicknames Welk, Lawrence
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919785/
Awards Academy of Country Music Award for Man of the Year
Nominations Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement In Tape Sound Mixing, People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Variety Program, 32. Spotlight on the Musical Family, 31. Easter, 30. Tour of Southern California
TV Shows The Lawrence Welk Show
Trademark
1 “An-a one, an-a two.”
2 Theme song: “Champagne Time” (1970 – 1982)
3 Theme song: “Bubbles in the Wine” (1955 – 1970)
Quote
1 We cater to the people who want a melody as it was originally written. Our audiences want songs that tell a story. We don’t want any song with questionable moral standards.
Fact
1 He is a first cousin, once removed, of Montana governor Brian Schweitzer. Lawrence’s mother, Christiana Schwahn, was the sister of Brian’s paternal grandmother, Franziska Schwahn.
2 Ex-father-in-law of Tanya Welk.
3 Co-founder (with Randall Wood, former owner of Dot Records) of Ranwood Records in 1967.
4 He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6613 Hollywood Boulevard and for Television at 1601 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
5 Dropped out of school in the fourth grade to work on the family farm. At age 21, he left home to make his way in the music business.
6 Registered his car with a vanity license plate that read “A1 AN A2”.
7 His show was initially cancelled by ABC-TV in 1971, after 17 years as a Saturday night perennial on the network, because of a question of viewer demographics. Advertisers and networks were convinced that they should gear their shows to younger, urban audiences, who were thought to have the buying power, and Welk’s audience was simply considered too old. In what was then considered a bold move, Welk began producing shows for first-run syndication, and by the start of the 1971 fall season he was back on the air, where he remained until he retired eleven years later. Ironically, many of the stations that carried his show were local ABC affiliates.
8 Parents, Ludwig and Christina Welk, emigrated from Alsace-Lorraine via Russia to Strasburg, North Dakota, where Lawrence was born.
9 A common misconception is that Welk did not learn English until he was 21. In fact, he began learning English as soon as he started school. The part of North Dakota where he lived had been settled largely by Germans from Russia; even his teachers spoke English as a second language.
10 In the early 1990s, the U.S. Congress refused federal funding to restore Welk’s boyhood home in Strasburg, N.D., as a museum. His many still loyal fans, hearing of this, donated the money themselves, and to this day the Welk Home and Museum has been restored and maintained entirely by private funds.
11 Served as his own producer for most of his years on TV, via Teleklew Productions. The name was made up of “tele” for television and “klew” was Welk spelled backwards.
12 Founder of the still-thriving Lawrence Welk Resort and Country Club in Escondido, California.
13 A good judge of talent, Welk’s discoveries included Lynn Anderson and Pete Fountain, both of whom got their starts with his band.
14 Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1989.
15 Recorded prolifically before and during his TV years, primarily for Columbia, Coral, Dot and Ranwood, scoring a #1 single and album with “Calcutta” in 1961.
16 Welk’s show was originaly entitled “The Dodge Dancing Party,” after his first national sponsor. His longest-lasting sponsors were two over-the-counter medicines, Geritol and Serutan (“That’s ‘nature’s,’ spelled backwards!”).
17 Welk’s son, Larry Welk (aka Lawrence Welk Jr), is owner/operator of the “Welk Resort” in Branson, Missouri.
18 Welk’s grandson, Larry Welk (aka Lawrence Welk III), is an airborne traffic and breaking news reporter in “Sky Nine” helicopter for KCAL-TV, Ch 9, Los Angeles.

Soundtrack

Title Year Status Character
The Founder 2016 performer: “Calcutta” a/k/a “Tivoli Melodie”
Rules Don’t Apply 2016 writer: “Bubbles in the Wine”
Atop the Fourth Wall 2014-2015 TV Series 3 episodes
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water 2015 performer: “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” / writer: “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”
Manhattan 2014 TV Series performer – 1 episode
Freaky Deaky 2012 performer: “Music To Watch Girls By” written by nm0708240
Yes Man 2008 performer: “Emperor Waltz”
Chocolat 2000 performer: “Start The Day Right”
Family Guy 2000 TV Series music – 1 episode
The Simpsons 1998 TV Series music – 1 episode
Swingers 1996 performer: “Champagne Time”
Good Morning, Vietnam 1987 performer: “Around The World”, “Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight”, “I’ll Never Smile Again”, “Kit Kat Polka” / writer: “Kit Kat Polka”
Lost in America 1985 performer: “Bubbles in the Wine” / writer: “Bubbles in the Wine”
Heaven Help Us 1985 performer: “Clarinet Polka”
The Lawrence Welk Show TV Series performer – 2 episodes, 1972 – 1979 writer – 1 episode, 1967
Green Acres 1970 TV Series writer – 1 episode
The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk 1939 Short writer: “Bubbles in the Wine”

Actor

Title Year Status Character
Here’s Lucy 1970 TV Series Lawrence Welk
Shower of Stars 1957 TV Series
Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music 1950 Short Lawrence Welk – Band Leader

Producer

Title Year Status Character
Lawrence Welk’s 12 Days of Christmas 1983 TV Special executive producer / producer
The Lawrence Welk Show 1951 TV Series producer

Music Department

Title Year Status Character
Gleason 2002 TV Movie composer: song “Bubbles in the Wine”
The Lawrence Welk Show 1955 TV Series composer: theme music – 1955-1970

Director

Title Year Status Character
Lawrence Welk’s 12 Days of Christmas 1983 TV Special

Writer

Title Year Status Character
Lawrence Welk’s 12 Days of Christmas 1983 TV Special written by

Self

Title Year Status Character
KTLA at 40: A Celebration of Los Angeles Television 1986 TV Movie Himself
Lawrence Welk’s 12 Days of Christmas 1983 TV Special Host / Musician
Hour Magazine 1982 TV Series Himself
The Lawrence Welk Show 1955-1982 TV Series Himself – Host / Himself / Host / …
The 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 1981 TV Special Himself – Honoree
The Alan Hamel Show 1979 TV Series Himself
The Mike Douglas Show 1971-1979 TV Series Himself – Bandleader / Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1964-1979 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest
Mickey’s 50 1978 Documentary Himself
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color 1978 TV Series Himself
ABC’s Silver Anniversary Celebration 1978 TV Special Himself
Good Morning America 1977 TV Series Himself
The Merv Griffin Show 1976 TV Series Himself
The Good Old Days of Radio 1976 TV Movie documentary Himself
Dinah! 1974-1976 TV Series Himself
The 24th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 1972 TV Special Himself – Presenter
The Dick Cavett Show 1968-1972 TV Series Himself
The David Frost Show 1970-1971 TV Series Himself
Jack Benny’s Birthday Special 1969 TV Special Himself
The Joey Bishop Show 1967-1969 TV Series Himself
The Hollywood Palace 1968 TV Series Himself
What’s My Line? 1967 TV Series Himself – Mystery Guest
The Andy Williams Show 1962-1964 TV Series Himself / Football coach
The Jack Benny Program 1962 TV Series Himself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show 1962 TV Series Himself
The Tonight Show 1962 TV Series Himself – Music Bandleader
Here’s Hollywood 1961 TV Series Himself
Disneyland ’59 1959 TV Movie documentary Himself
The Plymouth Show 1958 TV Series Himself
The Christophers 1957 TV Series Himself
This Is Your Life 1957 TV Series Himself – Guest of Honor
Person to Person 1956 TV Series documentary Himself
The Modernaires with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra 1952 Short Himself
The Lawrence Welk Show 1951 TV Series Himself – Host
The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra 1949 Short Himself
Champagne Music 1946 Short Himself – Orchestra Leader
The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk 1939 Short Himself – Orchestra Leader

Archive Footage

Title Year Status Character
My Music: Starlight Ballroom 2015 TV Movie Himself
Baseball, Dennis & The French 2011 Documentary
My Music: The Big Band Years 2009 TV Movie Himself
Lawrence Welk’s TV Treasures 2007 TV Movie documentary Himself
Lawrence Welk: Milestones & Memories – A Musical Family Reunion 2001 TV Movie Himself ‘
Television: The First Fifty Years 1999 Video documentary Himself
Things That Aren’t Here Anymore 1995 TV Movie documentary Himself
EBN: Commercial Entertainment Product 1992 Video short Himself (uncredited)
All You Need Is Love 1977 TV Series documentary Himself
The Lawrence Welk Show 1968-1971 TV Series Himself – Host
Jazz Ball 1956 TV Movie documentary Himself

Won Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
1960 Star on the Walk of Fame Walk of Fame Television On 8 February 1960. At 1601 Vine Street.
1960 Star on the Walk of Fame Walk of Fame Recording On 8 February 1960. At 6613 Hollywood Blvd.

You May Also Like