Myron Floren

Myron Floren (November 5 1919 – July 23 2005) was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982. Myron Floren came to prominence primarily from his regular appearances on the weekly Lawrence Welk Show, where Lawrence often referred to him as "the happy Norwegian."

He was highly regarded by bandleader Lawrence Welk, who was an accomplished accordion player in his own right. Floren functioned as Welk's principal assistant and second-in-command. In Floren's autobiography, Accordion Man, he recalled handling road manager duties when the band traveled, including making hotel arrangements and handling other logistics. He has been seen in a hosting role of repeats of The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS.

Early years

Growing up on a farm near Roslyn, South Dakota, Floren took up playing the accordion at age 6 when his father bought him a $10 mail-order squeezebox. He taught himself how to play the instrument, often spending several hours a day using his own methods of study. Soon he was performing solo around the community, often at fairs and social events.

He worked his way through Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by working at radio station KSOO as "The Melody Man" and teaching accordion all over the area. He tried to enlist in the Army when the United States entered World War II, but was turned down for active duty due to a damaged heart caused by a bout of rheumatic fever he suffered as a child. However, he insisted on serving his country by joining the USO, performing in Europe with notable stars such as Lily Pons and Marlene Dietrich.

After the war, he returned home to South Dakota, where he married Berdyne Koerner in 1945. The couple eventually had five daughters and gained three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.

Years with the Musical Family

In 1950, Floren who was performing with the music group known as the Buckeye Four, went to a dance at the Casa Loma Ballroom in St. Louis, Missouri where the Lawrence Welk Orchestra was playing. When the maestro recognized the accordion virtuoso in the audience, he invited him to play a number with his band. The number turned out to be "Lady of Spain," and from the overwhelming positive response from the audience, Lawrence hired Myron to be a permanent member of his band. "Lady of Spain" also became Floren's trademark song, and he played it countless times on the Welk show.

Although Floren was, technically, a much better accordion player than Welk, the two men developed a close working relationship, and Welk never hesitated to allow Floren to display his virtuosity; occasionally the two would even play duet pieces together.

For the next 32 years, Floren would become one of the most popular members of the band and the organization itself. It began with the band's migration to California, along with concert dates on the road, and exposure to television, first on local broadcasts from the Aragon Ballroom in Santa Monica, California and later on the ABC network in 1955. During the time The Lawrence Welk Show was on television, Floren was a featured solo performer and an assistant conductor. He also took over some of the maestro's announcing duties.

Later years

In the mid-1970s, Floren formed an orchestra of his own, while still employed by the Welk organization. Headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, the "Myron Floren Orchestra" played during the television show's off-season, and during holiday breaks, becoming a regional favorite.

After the show went off the air in the early 1980s, Floren continued to perform on the road, with as many as 200 dates a year, either as a solo artist, with his orchestra, or with other members of the Welk Show cast. Among the annual events where he headlined were Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas; German Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota; the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida and PolkaFest at the Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri.

On July 23 2005, Floren died at his home near Los Angeles, California, aged 85, after the last of several battles with cancer. He was a member of the International Polka Music Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1990.

References

• Associated Press obituary published on ABC News 24 July 2005
• Los Angeles Times obituary published July 24, 2005

External links

• Myron Floren's fan site
• Lawrence Welk Show Fan Site