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Welk and Whiteman

Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2026-10-20 22:28

In retrospective (and possibly even contemporarily) the names of Lawrence Welk and Paul Whiteman elicit(ed) winces from a percentage of professional/dedicated players and listeners.

However, both Welk and Whiteman created huge followings and huge success for themselves and their bands, paid their performers very well, hired some of (what would become) the eras biggest names in music, and helped launch or sustain the careers of many musicians throughout the decades.

Are there other band leaders/music groups/conductors, etc. who played a similar role and who are similarly "looked down" upon today?

Is there a "classical" counterpart/example?

Thanks,
Fuzzy
;^)>>>

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: Ed
Date: 2026-10-21 03:40

I grew up with my parents watching Lawrence Welk. Yeah, sometimes it seemed hokey. There are times when stuff pops up on Youtube and when I listen, I have to acknowledge that some of these guys were terrific players. Some of the really fine clarinet players over the decades included Pete Fountain, Peanuts Hucko and Henry Cuesta. Aa you mention, I have heard that Welk treated his musicians very well and paid them a good salary.

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2026-10-21 04:15

And it's Whiteman (with Gershwin at the piano) who premiered Rhapsody in Blue and gave us the most bizarre clarinet intro played, according to Google, by Ross Gorman. Recording is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5baSY3EZxI.

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2026-10-21 15:28

Hah, Gorman's solo, I like it. What was he doing on those trill attacks?

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: rmk54
Date: 2026-10-21 17:13

I was told by Paul LaValle, who attended that performance, that Gorman was highly intoxicated that evening. Although Gershwin initially never intended the schmear that is standard now, he liked it, so it became standard.

Gorman's interpretation sounds like klezmer to me.

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2026-10-21 18:03

rmk54,

That's funny. Other folks (Bing Crosby, Jack Teagarden) also reference the drinking/drunkedness of some of the band members (themselves included) at different times.

I thought the same thing about the possible link to Klezmer, but it didn't sound as constricted/restrained/confined/refined as Klezmer usually sounds...I guess the drunkedness might account for that. Hahaha!

Thanks for the link, by the way, Bennett.

Fuzzy
;^)>>>

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Re: Welk and Whiteman

Author: davyd
Date: 2026-10-22 00:02

We have collectively spent more than a century trying to emulate Gorman, and now we find out he was drunk at the time?! Ye gods.

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