Is Lawrence Welk still relevant to viewers in 2025?

[TMC]

https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/law...g-01et2pj6gzgt

On Sunday Night Football last night, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth reacted to the New York Post using the headline "Lawrence? Welp" as a pun on Welk's name in reaction to the New York Jets possibly losing out on top QB prospect Trevor Lawrence by upsetting the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. But how many viewers would get the reference to a TV personality whose The Lawrence Welk Show ended in 1982? Over the past decade, Saturday Night Live has done numerous sketches mocking The Lawrence Welk Show that have attracted millions of views. "But here's the question: Does Welk still resonate with the masses? I am 36, an oldish soul, and my only frame of reference is Fred Armisen playing him in an Saturday Night Live sketch," says Kyle Koster. "Logically, a newspaper audience is going to skew a little older as the kids are all getting their news online these days. So I've heard. If Welk is still connecting, though, that's big news. News we can use. That would mean a Mamie Van Doren or Art Linkletter headline allusion would be worth the SEO hit."

[Coffeecup]

I would say no. Great majority of people don't know Lawrence. I have vague memory of Guy Lombardo and New Years Eve of 50+ years ago. My brother and I were chatting about him and he remembers Guy strictly for the older set far different than today when you have a Ryan Seacreast hosting New Years Eve for the younger set. It is great that we can google say Mary Pickford and find a little info on her but the great majority of us are more interested in the lives of Brad Pitt. Every generation has their likes of their age group.

[stevea]

I agree. The interest would have been in my mother's (1920-2017) generation (shr really liked his show), and most of these people have died.

PBS still plays reruns, I think. Not sure who would be watching.

[MA]

I know that my PBS affiliate plays reruns every Saturday night at 6:00 PM.

[Chocolate Moose]

i sure don't remember him. I'm 56. I didn't watch him, that's for sure. I mean, I've heard of him but that's all.

[RetroGuy2000]

My grandparents watched that show every week. They passed on 20 years ago.

[siblis]

my 91 year old Father still watches it

[1960'sTVfan]

I've always liked Lawrence Welk, I watched his show in Chicago during the 1970's when WGN ran it. Nowadays, replays of the show can be seen on some PBS channels.

[rusty spike]

I don't think he is well known as he once was.

[Yong Fang]

That is my take on Lawrence Welk, when I was a child in the 1970's he was popular with elderly people, of the 1970's. As in people born between 1890 and 1910 old. I think that Welk would have been old fashioned to my parent's generation who were born in the early 1930's.

I am from Memphis, which is famous for the home of Elvis Presley, who died way back in 1977. His house became a tourist mecca since the 1980's, but I wonder how many years it has left since his fans are dying (Elvis would be 87 if he were still alive). I was born in 1967 and I dont think even my generation is that interested in seeing the place, some are however since Elvis was a part of rock our parents listened to. Our children and grandchildren moving forward have no connection with him, he has been dead for 45 years, and they never listened to his music and if they have, to them it would be hackneyed and old fashioned.

Times change and people who were famous are no longer so and people famous now will be forgotten in fifty years.

[biffbronson]

I watch occasionally to see my crushes in their prime.

Sandi Griffiths:



Ralna English:



Mary Lou Metzger:



Cissy King:



So my interest begins after the Lennon Sisters left, though I can appreciate the older shows too.

[Sgt. Saunders]

Oh, yeah, I “fondly” remember “The Lawrence Welk Show” airing on Saturday nights during the 1960s. My parents never missed it. I think Stevea is right-on with his comment that that generation of faithful Lawrence Welk viewers is now all gone.

As a kid, I would rather have watched “Shindig” or even “Land of the Giants,” but on Saturday nights, “The Lawrence Welk Show”was THE family show to tune into to.

Although, I have to say that I thought that the singing Lennon Sisters were very cute. However, I was dismayed to learn that the Lennon Sisters bailed out of the show when Mr. Welk declined their request for a raise in salary. Apparently, Mr. Welk was known to be as “frugal,” if not as parsimonious, as Fred MacMurray, another noted Hollywood tightwad.

Also, I could never figure out Mr. Welk’s somewhat curious accent. Comedian John Byner once observed that although Mr. Welk was born and raised in North Dakota, he sounded as if he just got off the boat from Hamburg.

I almost wished that in perhaps trying to expand his audience, particularly with the younger crowd, Mr. Welk had invited younger performers to appear on his popular show. Wouldn’t it have been cool to see Rolling Stones lead guitarist Keith Richard, jamming with the Lawrence Welk band, and with accordionist Myron Floren backing the Stones’ musician in a rocking
version of Wayne Newton’s seminal hit song, “Danke Schoen”? Or how about seeing Lawrence Welk dancers Bobby Burgess and Cissy King getting down with the legendary Tina Turner for a rock-the-house song and dance rendition of “Proud Mary”?

Alas, what might have been.

[rusty spike]

About 30 years ago, I randomly met one of Sandi Griffiths' daughters. She was about my age and I immediately recognized the connection with the Welk show. Others in the small group of my same age cohort had no idea who Lawrence Welk was. So even among a group of Gen X, Welk's popularity had already begun to fade.

[SarahBellum]

My mom is 99 and in assisted living. I have been watching the Welk show with her every Saturday evening for the last couple years. It airs on the local PBS station. The show isn't my cup of tea, but my mom enjoys it. I have to admit the musicians and dancers were really good. PBS seems to be reluctant to air the early black and white shows. A lot of performers from that era were gone by the time it switched to color in the mid 60s.

I believe Welk did try to expand his audience in later years by adding country singer Clay Hart, country/gospel singers Guy and Ralna, black tap dancer Arthur Duncan, cute little Hispanic hottie Anacani and the tall blond stud Tom Netherton.

[biffbronson]

I really love seeing older Welk shows with Natalie Nevins (1925-2010). She was a hottie, with her little white gloves and regal bearing. This beautiful & talented lady had a brief tenure on the series, but she made a lasting impression.

With her riveting presence and formal gowns, this woman was so foxy:



Beautifully trimmed bangs adorning her pretty face with high cheekbones. Lovely: