Dancing with the Stars
I posted this story in 2007 on GrammaLei, I found some more pictures so I thought I would move it here, it seems like it belongs on “Clan Lore”
Make sure to read the old 2007 comments at the end, that I moved over here from GrammaLei, they are by the people in the story! Comments are so important, please add yours!
July 1, 2007
I read a memory Wil Weaton shared about life in the San Fernando Valley when he was a kid (I sure wish I could write as good):
” MumMum was my great grandmother, and we called my great grandfather Papa. Their actual names were Daphne and Flavel, which were the funniest names I’d ever heard in my 5 years of life. I’d succumb to a fit of giggles whenever MumMum would call out to Papa, “Flavel! Come quick! Lawrence is on!” (She was referring to Lawrence Welk, who they watched so frequently on television, and called by name with such familiarity, I thought he was a close personal friend. I’m sure that, to them, he was.) “ Link to the story
I wonder if Daphne and Flavel did know “Lawrence”.
It was odd to me when I was little, that my Mom and Grandma Daisy seemed to be on a first name basis with not only Lawrence, but Myron, Barney and the whole band. When I got older, I realized that they spent a lot of Saturday nights at the filming. In the early days “The Lawrence Welk Show” was shot live at the bands performances, the audience was the fans who had come to dance.
Betty Gifford – Grandma Daisy – Uncle Frank – Larry & Christine
My mom was telling recently, that in the fifties, her and her Mother would be sitting down to watch the show, and then they would decide to “run down” to the Aragon (and later the Palladium). They would leave Larry and Chris with our Uncle Frank who was about 12 or 13 at the time. They must have had some good times, as much as I have heard them reminisce about them. I guess the dancing and partying would go on into the night. Mom would dance with Lawrence and the other band members quite often.
I was sure I had a photo of Grandma with the big man but this picture is pretty cool, this was taken at a Lawrence Welk Family Picnic in 1955, that is Uncle Frank at 14 years old standing with Alice Lon the original”Champagne Lady”, she was fired in 1959, I don’t believe that my Grandmother ever quite accepted her replacement, Norma Zimmer, even though she held the post for 22 years. My brother Larry is 6 years old and sister Chris is 4.
On a completely different topic, I guess I’m pretty old if a story can bring back adult memories, this Story by Wil Weaton definitely brings back going shopping with Keri, Brian and George.
Your Grandmother sat on the side while we were dancing, we always saw Norman Bailey, the trumpet player, going over to sit with her, we said that we thought Mom had a crush on him.
Myron Floren and Barney Liddell would always come over and ask me to dance during the intermissions, Lawrence would drag me up on stage to dance with him, once he made me sit up there with Alice Lon and Gene Purcell.
We sure had a great times.
😯 I remember going to the Aragon Ballroom sometime in the late 50’s/early 60’s. There were Grandma Daisy, Mom, Uncle Frank, Christine, and I. Mom had a cloth-covered stuft Dachshound covered with autographs of the Lawrence Welk Band. We were all dressed up (like in Easter-dress-up) and there was lots of dancing and good music. Mom and Grandma watched the L.W. Show each Saturday night. I enjoyed the accordian playing by Myron Florin and Larry Welk, especially the polka’s. I grew up with waltze’s and polka’s. I even tried to learn to play the accordian, but I was seven-years-old, and that didn’t last very long. 😆 Whew. Reminiscing takes a lot out of ya; brings back good times. Remeber going to Bouquet Canyon for picnics with Betty, and Johnny Narra, anyone? 😯