Extraordinary Accordionist Myron
Floren Dies at 85
"Extraordinary Accordionist Myron Floren Dies at 85." Lawrence Welk Show Musical
Family News 12, 2005, no. 2: 5.
Myron Floren, one of the great accordionists of
the 20th century and a star of the Lawrence Welk Show
for over 50 years, died on July 23, 2005 in Los Angeles, California,
at the age of 85. A consummate musician, Myron could play everything
from a polka to a popular song to a Bach cantata with equal style
and grace. His warm personality and ready smile, in addition to
his musical artistry, made him an audience favorite whenever and
wherever he appeared.
The talented native of South Dakota was a self-taught
musical entertainer for most of his life, beginning as a 9-year-old
farm boy at fairs, programs and social events. He joined the Welk
band in 1950 and became one of the featured stars of the Lawrence
Welk Show that was broadcast nationally from 1955
to 1982. Dubbed “The Happy Norwegian,” the handsome,
wavy-haired musician was one of the most popular members of the
large cast and eventually became one of the band’s assistant
conductors.
Myron continued as part of the Welk Musical Family
the program moved to public television in 1987, starring a dozen
new specials and hosting some of the re-broadcasts of the weekly
series, carried on 280 stations around the country. Until his
final illness, he did well over a hundred appearances each year,
attracting huge crowds of faithful fans, both young and old, mentoring
and encouraging youthful accordionists from all over the world.
“I’m going to keep squeezing this thing,”
he once said, “until nobody calls anymore.”
Musical Prodigy
Born on a farm near Roslyn, South Dakota, Myron grew up in a quiet,
rural area of the United States, never imagining how far his musical
talent would take him. At 6 years of age, he heard an accordion
player perform at a fair and he was so enthralled that he decided
to make it his career. His father recognized his talent and ordered
a $10 accordion for the ambitious young boy. Myron taught himself
how to play, using his own methods of study, and a few years later,
he was taking his first bows as a solo artist.
Myron worked his was through Augustana College in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota by teaching accordion lessons and working
at the local radio station, KSOO, as “The Melody Man.”
He did shows in the early morning, noon and evening, sandwiching
classes between programs. He graduated in the early forties, at
the beginning of the war, but because of a serious bout with rheumatic
fever as a child that permanently damaged his heart, he failed
to pass a physical exam for the Army. At his insistence, after
agreeing to waive insurance, Myron was accepted into the USO and
received a Captain’s rating.
He immediately became a member of the European Theater of Operation
when the war was at its peak, performing with top stars such as
Marlene Dietrich and Lily Pons, on battlefields, troop trains
and in field hospitals. As the war drew to a close, he was with
the battalions of men who liberated the city of Paris, a historical
moment he treasured, still filled with the pride and wonder of
it.
After The War
On his return to South Dakota in 1945, Myron married his Fiancée,
Berdyne Koerner, one of his former students. In 1946, they moved
to Missouri to join the “Buckeye four,” a highly popular
musical group. In 1950, the young couple attended a dance at the
Casa Loma Ballroom in St. Louis, where the Lawrence Welk Orchestra
was playing. Myron had first met the up-and-coming Mr. Welk at
the Arkota Ballroom in Sioux Falls and was pleased when the bandleader
recognized him and invited him to perform a number with his band.
“I chose to play Lady of Spain
for the audience that night,” Myron recalled later, “and
the crowd response was so enthusiastic that Lawrence insisted
I play through the evening.”
Always looking for talent, Welk hired Myron virtually
on the spot, much to the dismay of his own manager, who believed
it was a mistake to hire someone who played the accordion better
than he did. Lawrence told him, “The only people I hire
are the ones who play better than I do.”
A Welk Show Star
Lawrence Welk offered Myron a permanent place in his band, unheard
of in those days of transient musicians who moved from group to
group. It was a friendship that lasted for 32 years and Myron
was an important part of the band’s success. He was on the
rode with the band in the early fifties and moved to California
when that fateful decision was made by Mr. Welk. He was an integral
part of the local television broadcasts and became a featured
solo performer when the Lawrence Welk Show
moved to national television on July 2, 1955.
One of Myron’s favorite memories happened
in September, 1971, when the Welk show played for 21,000 people
in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Myron recalled, “Just
before going on stage, Mr. Welk said, ‘Wunnerful, wunnerful,
Myron!’ ‘What’s so wonderful?’ I asked
him. And Lawrence said ‘Isn’t it wunnerful what two
farm boys from North and South Dakota can do!’”
In 1984
When Lawrence Welk retired in 1984, the show went off the air,
except for a few holiday specials. Myron’s performance schedule
surged to more than 200 dates a year, often as a solo artist,
or performing with other members of the Welk Show cast. When the
show became a series on public show television and new specials
were created, Myron was inundated with even more performance dates.
In 1992, Larry Welk opened the Welk Resort and Champagne Theatre
in Branson, Missouri and Myron was one of the stars invited back
each year for a limited engagement. In addition, he was the featured
star of the PolkaFest, a yearly festival at the Welk Resort that
attracted polka bands and accordionists from all over the world.
Annual Events
Over the years, Myron was invited to appear at the same events
each year. His annual events included the Wurstfest in New Braunfels,
Texas; the Hostfest in Minot, North Dakota; and the Strawberry
Festival in Plant City, Florida. His audiences never grew smaller,
they just grew a bit more mature.
Myron often said, “I might be getting older,
but when I am on stage and see the folks in the audience, and
hear the band, I’m 18 again, and I have even more fun than
the audience!”
Myron’s Family
Myron is survived by is wife, Berdyne, five daughters, Krisitie,
Robin, Heidi, Holly and Randee, and three sons-in-law: Bobby Burgess,
one of the stars of the Lawrence Welk Show,
(Kristie); Sam Gennawey (Heidi); and Tom Cipolla (Robin). He is
also survived by seven grandchildren: Becki, Robert, Wendi and
Brent Bugess and Meridith, Emily and Liana Cipolla.
Memorial Fund
Memorial tributes to Myron can be sent to: USO World Headquarters/Attn:
Margo Durham, 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1200, Arlington, VA 22201.
