Myron Floren R.I.P.

[Jeffrey Hicks]

Lawrence Welk Accordion Player Floren Dies

ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. (AP) -- Myron Floren, an accordion player who entertained generations of television viewers on "The Lawrence Welk Show," died Saturday. He was 85.

Floren died of cancer at his Rolling Hills Estates home in Los Angeles County, according to Margaret Heron, syndication manager for the show.

A consummate musician versed in everything from polka to Bach, he joined Lawrence Welk's band in 1950 and stayed on until the television show ended in 1982.

The orchestra, which also included saxophonist Dick Dale and singer Jim Roberts, was famous for bouncing, effervescent dance music that Welk began playing as a young man in his native North Dakota.



More recently, Floren performed at music festivals around the country.

Born on a farm outside Roslyn, S.D., in 1919, he took up the instrument after hearing an accordion player at a fair as a child.

Floren was survived by his wife, Berdyne, five daughters and seven grandchildren.

[Chuck(G)]

bloke "...but I have no idea who the short, curly black-haired tuba player was. "

You thinking of Dick Maloof? All that curly hair went the way of male pattern baldness later:

[CJ Krause]

yup

[Lew]

OK, so what is that horn in the photo? It looks like it could be a Conn, Holton, or Martin to me.