His popularity held steady over the years, even as other featured performers on Welk’s show became prominent: Pete Fountain, Norma Zimmer, The Lennon Sisters, Joe Feeney, Guy and Ralna, Jo Ann Castle, and former Mouseketeer Bobby Burgess and his dance partner Cissy King. He released many records under his own name, as well as the numerous albums he recorded with Welk.
#Lawrence welk accordion archive#
(Credit: Torrance Historical Newspaper and Directories Archive database, Torrance Public Library)įloren continued playing live dates throughout the country with and without Welk’s orchestra, as well as composing and recording original music for the accordion. He also made many appearances with local musical groups, such as the South Bay Symphony, and directed the choir at his Lutheran church when his schedule permitted. He worked with groups such as the Torrance Accordionettes, sponsored by the Bettie Thomas Studios, performing for years at the group’s annual springtime “Vacation Varieties” show in Torrance. The modest Floren spent countless hours coaching young music students in the South Bay. (Credit: Myron Floren Facebook page)īut television prominence never dimmed Floren’s passion for the accordion, nor did it ever inflate his ego. Welk even gave him a nickname: “The Happy Norwegian.” Sign in Floren’s hometown of Roslyn, South Dakota. He would live there for the rest of his life.įloren’s accordion wizardry made him a valued featured performer on Welk’s show from its earliest days. Welk had moved to Los Angeles, as had Floren, who eventually settled in a ranch house on three-plus acres in Rolling Hills. On May 11, 1951, KTLA broadcast the first weekly telecast of the Welk show. In later years, Floren would act as de facto orchestra leader when Welk was not present. The pair’s business relationship would last for the next 31 years, until “The Lawrence Welk Show” finally went off the air in 1982. When asked why he would take on someone more adept than he at the accordion, Welk, according to the Los Angeles Times, responded, “That’s the only kind of people I hire-the ones that play better than I do.” (Credit: website, contributed by John “J-Cat” Griffith) Undated publicity photo of Lawrence Welk, left, and Myron Floren. The story goes that Floren played with such skill, including acing the medley, that Welk came out from the wings waving a white flag of mock surrender, and offered him a job later that night. Then he tested him by setting sheet music from a medley of tunes in front of him to see how well he could perform while reading unfamiliar music on the fly. He called Floren up to the stage to play a few numbers, including his soon-to-be-signature tune, “Lady of Spain.” Welk, a North Dakota native, recognized Floren in the audience the two knew each other from their early days on the upper Midwest musician’s circuit. A very rare photo of a very young Myron Floren playing his button box on the farm in Roslyn, SD. Lawrence Welk’s orchestra headlined the show that evening. On March 7, 1950, Floren took his wife to the Casa Loma ballroom, in St. Myron Floren joined a musical group called the Buckeye Four. Their marriage lasted 59 years, until his death in 2005. War Department for his efforts.Īfter the war, he married Berdyne on Aug. He joined its group of performers playing for servicemen all over the European Theater, with shows many times staged very close to the front lines. But he discovered that a childhood bout with rheumatic fever made him ineligible for the military.ĭriven by the desire to serve, however, he turned to the USO.
With the outbreak of World War II, Floren, wanting to do his part, tried to enlist as a member of the Army Air Corps. Instead, he majored in English, with a minor in music. He wanted to major in music at Augustana, but the music director there looked down his nose at the accordion and wouldn’t allow him to do so. Oh, and he also played accordion on a variety of local radio station music shows. He also was playing with the band Bill and His Old-Timers, and attending nearby Augustana College.
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