The Lawrence Welk Show: Maybelline

[olderandlovingit]

This was in 1956. Fender Stratocaster on TV. This was a first and Buddy Merrill did it.

[stlgtrace]

As great as the musicianship on the LW show was, this arrangement of the Little Richard hit is just too cornball! It just doesn't work! Little Richard & Dixieland? C'mon!!!!

[909chuck]

While many (including me!) felt this show was soooo square, I can now thank them for both keeping "the Amer. music songbook" before a large audience and encouraging the enjoyment of playing music. BUT IT'S STILL SQUARE.

[Barnekkid]

I wonder if Merrill still has that strat.

[GaryLawrence0]

Smile bass player smile.lol

[wurlitzer1450]

wunnerful wunnerful !

[dkfelix]

Chuck B. would be ssssooooo prowd!

[BillyVaughnMusic]

I thought the bubble machine went haywire and the Aragon floated out to sea.

[TopazDupree]

I was 12 and in the 7th grade when Welk's TV show first aired nationwide (spring 1955). My friend, Linda G. (Wilbur Wright Jr. High in Cleveland) had a big crush on Buddy Merrill. Linda & I would never admit to the other kids that we watched Lawrence Welk (rock & roll was just getting started back then, too). Great memories. Thanks for posting this.

Lois G.

[garst59]

So how did Wilbur like the show?

[btpolitic]

Wish I had that strat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[handinside]

Lawrence Welk doing Chuck Berry? Blows my mind!

[stratdem]

god bless the fender stratocaster and the people who play them

[ltomholme]

What a rare and fabulous piece of footage.

I'm assuming pre ABC when the shows were done locally and LIVE from the Aragon Ballroom.

Is there much of those early shows in archive?  Please let's have MORE.

[altfactor]

@ltomholme It's possible that a kinescope recording was made of one of Welk's local TV shows to try to convince a network to pick it up, and this was from it.

Must have worked, because Welk was on TV for 27 years, and quite popular all the way through.

It's my understanding the show finally ended because Welk wanted to retire, but between the end of the TV show and his retirement, he and the band did a major world tour that they didn't have time to do previously due to their TV commitments.