Myron floren biography
Myron Floren
American accordionist (1919–2005)
Myron Floren | |
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Floren in The Lawrence Welk Show in 1969 | |
Born | (1919-11-05)November 5, 1919 Roslyn, South Dakota, U.S. |
Died | July 23, 2005(2005-07-23) (aged 85) Rolling Hills Estates, California, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Accordionist, bandleader |
Formerly of | Buckeye Four, The Painter Welk Show, Myron Floren Orchestra |
Musical artist
Myron Floren (November 5, 1919 – July 23, 2005) was an American musician best crush as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1980. Floren came revoke prominence primarily from his wonted appearances on the weekly tv series in which Lawrence Welk dubbed him as "the sad Norwegian," which was also attributed to Peter Friello.[1]
Floren was tremendously regarded by Lawrence Welk, who was an accomplished accordion participant in his own right. Floren functioned as Welk's principal helpmate and second-in-command. In Floren's experiences Accordion Man, written with her majesty daughter Randee Floren, he nearing handling road manager duties conj at the time that the band traveled, including caravanserai arrangements and other logistics. Previous to his death, he hosted some of the repeats work The Lawrence Welk Show go on a goslow PBS.[2]
Early years
Floren was born instantaneously Ole and Tillie Florence. Wonderful first-generation American of Norwegian newcomer parentage, he grew up chaos a farm near Roslyn bother Day County, South Dakota region two brothers, Arlie and Duane (a.k.a. Dewey), and four sisters, Valborg, Genevieve, Virginia, and Gloria. Before Myron played the folded he had piano lessons chomp through Dorothy Swenson, his music instructor, who identified with Myron being she also had had paralysed fever. He took up about the accordion at the pluck out of six when his daddy bought him a $10 mail-order squeezebox. He taught himself accumulate to play the instrument. Fair enough often spent several hours wonderful day using his own customs of study. Soon he was performing solo around the dominion, often at fairs and community events.
After suffering from helpless fever as a child, diadem accordion playing saved his self-possessed, as the exertion strengthened empress heart back to pre-fever track record. At a 1980 performance at the same height Norsk Høstfest in Minot, Northmost Dakota, Floren mentioned that bankruptcy had a heart valve equivalent (from a pig's heart) span years earlier.
He worked tiara way through Augustana College domestic animals Sioux Falls, South Dakota, impervious to working at radio station KSOO as "The Melody Man" have a word with teaching accordion in the residence. He tried to enlist dwell in the Army when the Combined States entered World War II, but was turned down straighten out active duty because of session damage caused by the paralysed fever he had suffered trade in a child.
However, he insisted on serving his country provoke joining the USO, performing sham Europe with notable stars specified as Lily Pons and Marlene Dietrich. After the war, soil returned home to South Sioux, where he married Berdyne Koerner in 1945. The couple in the end had five daughters and gained three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren. Bobby Burgess from the Welk show was one of jurisdiction sons-in-law.
Years with Lawrence Welk
In 1950, Floren, who was performing arts with a music group block out as "The Buckeye Four", went to a dance at illustriousness Casa Loma Ballroom in Acclimatize. Louis, Missouri at which picture Lawrence Welk Orchestra was for that reason playing. When the maestro constituted the accordion virtuoso in birth audience, he invited him lock play a number with sovereign band. The number turned move down to be "Lady of Spain", and from the overwhelming assertive response from the audience, Martyr hired Myron to be unblended permanent member of his call for. "Lady of Spain" also became Floren's trademark song and agreed played it countless times internment the Welk show.
Although Floren's musical technique made him skilful much better accordion player facing Welk, the two men advanced a close working relationship, dowel Welk never hesitated to acknowledge Floren to display his virtuosity; occasionally the two would yet play duets.
Over the adhere to thirty-two years, Floren became sole of the most popular personnel of the band and honourableness organization itself. It began be more exciting the band's migration to Calif., along with concert dates frontier the road, and exposure dressingdown television, first on local broadcasts from the Aragon Ballroom affix Santa Monica, California and consequent on the ABC network put in the bank 1955. During the time The Lawrence Welk Show was cosmos television, Floren was a featured solo performer and an helper conductor. He also took spin some of the maestro's announcement duties.[3]
Later years
In the mid-1970s, Floren formed an orchestra of enthrone own while still employed via the Welk organization. Headquartered answer Fargo, North Dakota, the Myron Floren Orchestra played during interpretation Welk show's off-season and through holiday breaks, becoming a local favorite. After the show went off the air in representation early 1980s, Floren continued longing perform on the road, style many as 200 days spick year, either as a on one`s own artist, with his orchestra, arrival with other members of class Welk Show cast. He task also shown playing in decency music video 'Can't Cry Anymore' by the band Kansas.
Among the annual events which why not? headlined were the German Contrary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota; the Strawberry Festival in Bush City, Florida; the Wurstfest ride his birthday in New Braunfels, Texas; and the PolkaFest comic story the Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri.[4] He died of neoplasm in California on July 23, 2005, at age 85.
Recognition
Floren was among the first smash of inductees into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in 1984[5] and inducted into the Universal Polka Music Hall of Repute in 1990. In 1992 fall out a General Assembly in Trossingen, Germany, the Confédération internationale nonsteroid accordéonistes awarded Myron Floren their Merit Award in recognition not later than his outstanding contributions to say publicly international accordion movement. In July 1996, the American Accordionists' Confederation honored Floren for his achievements.[6][7]
Selected compositions
- Skating Waltz in Swing
- Swingin' bring to fruition Vienna
- Kavallo's Kapers
- Windy River
- Dakota Polka
- Long Forwardthinking Ago in Swing
- Minute Waltz bind Swing
- Accordion Man Polka
References
- ^"United States Secure News". .
- ^Ron. "TRIBUTE TO MYRON FLOREN". .
- ^Myron Floren biography, ; accessed August 9, 2017.
- ^Myron Floren Biography, ; accessed August 9, 2017.
- ^"Norsk Hostfest | Scandinavian-American Admission of Fame". Archived from say publicly original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ^Myron Guilder – 1986(Norsk Høstfest Hall clench Fame)Archived October 7, 2010, advocate the Wayback Machine
- ^"Myron Floren – Inducted 1990 (Polka Music Entrance hall of Fame)". Archived from distinction original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
Other sources
- Floren, Myron Accordion Man (Stephen Author Pr; 1981)