KTLA refused to pay any expenses, and even asked that Welk put up three hundred dollars to pay for shooting costs! Welk agreed, and his orchestra made its television debut on May 2 of 1951.įortunately, Welk’s on-air appearance was a complete success. He finally agreed, but there was a catch. The station manager was hesitant, having been burned by bands before. Lutz contacted KTLA, a Los Angeles television station, about airing Welk’s orchestra. Midway through the tour, Sam Lutz, the band’s manager, secured Welk his first big break. And so, in 1950, Welk decided to pack up his orchestra and go on tour, hoping for more lucrative engagements. The big band craze of the 1930s and ’40s was ending, Welk’s crowds were dwindling, and the Trianon’s manager had refused repeated requests from the band for salary increases. After ten years playing at the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago, Lawrence Welk, native of Strasburg, North Dakota, realized that his days in the Windy City were drawing to a close.
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