Guest Champagne Ladies - list provided by Steve Cooper

 

Here's the list of guest Champagne Ladies from 1959 & 1960.  Alice Lon's last show appears to have been at the end of June 1959.  Several of the guest singers were on the show 2 or even 3 times.  Steve's comments are after some of the singer's names.  They are not in any particular order.

Betty Clooney - Rosemary's sister!
 
Anita Gordon - sang in the movies State Fair and Paint Your Wagon.  Also sang with the Ray Noble Orchestra (several of Welk sax players also played with Ray Noble)
 
Sue Raney - considered a "singer's singer" - one of the top "studio" singers in Los Angeles.  At the age of 19 she sang with Ray Anthony's band and later became lead singer of the L.A. Voices - one of the top vocal groups in the world.
 
Fran Irvin
 
Molly Bee - she was on the Welk show Sept. 12 1959     She sang "Just Another Polka" and "School Days"
 
Barbara Lanz
 
John Gary - not a Champagne Lady - just a guest singer during the time Alice Lon left.  Yes, it was
 THE John Gary - one of the great pop singers.
 
Laurie Johnson
 
Arlene Martell
 
Jan Wynn  -  great 1950's pop singer originally from Detroit
 
Diane Berry
 
Marilyn Lovell
 
Diane Maxwell - vocalist on the late 50's Steve Allen Show
 
Denise Foster - Lawrence liked her so much he had her sing on several live radio boradcasts from the Aragon ballroom
 
Lu Ann Simms - Sang on Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason Show, and the Arthur Godfrey Show (4 years!)
   She also later sang on the Captain Kangaroo morning show for kids.
 
J. McManus
 
Jean Sampson
 
Judy Busch - sang on The George Gobel Show and a few other 1950's TV shows
 
Carol Richards - sang on the Bob Crosby show and several movies
 
Lynn Roberts - sang with ALL the big bands since the age of 16 - Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James,
   and many others.
 

Julie Hand - sang on the TV show called Dick Sinclair Polka Party which was on RIGHT AFTER the Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday nights on ABC (it was on in Chicago and averal other cities).

 

Patti Lorraine
Louise Vienna
 
Joanie O'Brien - great singer sang daily on The Bob Crosby TV Show and also several movies in addition to variety shows like Tennessee Ernie Ford.
 
Kathy Taylor - sang on Dec. 3, 1960 - the next week (Dec. 12 was NORMA ZIMMER)  So, Kathy may have been the LAST guest Champ. Lady
 
Claire Nelson - great big band singer sang several million seller hits with Tommy Tucker Orchestra
 (Shake Me I Rattle - which the Lennon Sisters also sang) and also the great ballroom band of Jimmy Palmer Orchestra (I currently own that bands' music)
 
Janie Jones - originally from England
 
Julie Mason - Julie sang several times on the Welk show.  I'm friends with her family and they told me that Lawrence asked her to be Champagne Lady but she turned it down.  So...she was picked before Norma!
 
Betty Cox - Lawrence liked her so much she recorded an album with Lawrence on the Dot label.
 
Gina Genardi
 
Dodie Stevens - Dodie was a famous pop singer of the 50's - her big hit was "Tan Shoes & Pink Shoelaces"
  That song was also done on the Welk show with guest singer ROBERTA SHORE and ROCKY
  ROCKWELL.  Dodie later sang with Sergio Mendes and Brazil '77.  She used her real name which was not even close to "Dodie Stevens"!!!
 
Louise Drake - from Minneapolis
 
Peggy Dietrick - sang with Eddie Arnold in the 1950's
 
Kay Hart
 
Pam Garner - sang on The Steve Allen Show
 
Mary Ann Luckett - from Louisville
 
Louise O'Brien - sang on Arthur Godrey and also subbed for Alice Lon on the St. Pat's Day Welk show in 1956!
 
Margie Rayburn - great singer - she's currently on You Tube.  She sang with Spike Jones, Gene Autry and Ray Anthony's big band including her own record albums of Liberty and other labels.
 
Freddie Weber - also on You Tube.  She also sang religious music.
 
Delores Rodell
 
JO ANN GREER - 10/29/60  she was featured singer with Les Brown and of course also known as being the wife of Welk trumpeteer Mickey McMahon.  She was also on the Welk show in the late 60's (I think).
 
Georgia Lee- appeared in several movie's in the late 50's
 
Patty Clark - "big time" singer originally from Fargo (where she worked 5 days a week on a radio show with Welk pianist Frank Scott) - then sang in Chicago 5 nights a week on TV and radio shows - Welk loved her - she was on several times & was even featured in 2 TV Guides with her & Lawrence.  She currently has 2 CD's on Amazon.  In 1961 she was star of the TV series "Glenn Miller Time"  on CBS TV along with Johnny Desmond and the Glenn Miller Orchestra..  AND........4 years ago she recorded one song with my band (The Steve Cooper Orchestra) on a CD featuring her and Rocky Rockwell with my ballroom band.