By 1969, when I celebrated 45 years in the music business, I also had 45 people in our musical family.
Lawrence WelkI realized some of the pitfalls of being well-known; it was nice if you were successful, but it made it just that much harder to take when you failed.
Lawrence WelkI have a tremendous desire to learn, and to grow, and to develop whatever I have that will make for any kind of improvement in me.
Lawrence WelkNever trust anyone completely but God. Love people, but put your full trust only in God.
Lawrence WelkOn the stage of the Italian Terrace Room in the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1938 ... the place where Champagne Music was born.
Lawrence WelkTo be granted some kind of usable talent and to be able to use it to the fullest extent of which you are capable - this, to me, is a kind of joy that is almost unequaled.
Lawrence WelkI expected to be a farmer like my father and brothers. Life seemed pleasant and orderly.
Lawrence WelkNight after night I could feel the chills go up and down my spine, they played so well.
Lawrence WelkWe really were a very musical family. In spite of the fact that we were so poor when I was a youngster that supper was often just a bowl of bread and milk, Father somehow managed to squeeze out enough pennies to buy us a small pump organ, and I just loved this instrument too.
Lawrence WelkIf any performer has quality in his voice he can almost always be helped to develop all the other necessary attributes.
Lawrence WelkI knew nothing of the life of a real musician, of course, but somehow I seemed to see myself standing in front of great crowds of people, playing my accordion.
Lawrence WelkIf I live to be 90, and I'm planning to, I'll always love performing for a live audience.
Lawrence WelkIf you put all your strength and faith and vigor into a job and try to do the best you can, the money will come.
Lawrence WelkFor a while we had trouble trying to get the sound of a champagne cork exploding out of the bottle. I solved the problem by sticking my finger in my mouth and popping it out.
Lawrence WelkMy first appearance, the first time I try anything, invariably is not very successful. I tend to grow slowly, but solidly.
Lawrence WelkI was so anxious to succeed that I made a practice of appearing on all the disc jockey shows I could, in order to publicize the band.
Lawrence WelkIn spite of the Depression, or maybe because of it, folks were hungry for a good time, and an evening of dancing seemed a good way to have it.
Lawrence WelkOne time I introduced my orchestra as the Shampoo Music Makers instead of the Champagne Music Makers.
Lawrence WelkI just wrote a book, but don't go out and buy it yet, because I don't think it's finished yet.
Lawrence WelkDreams do come true, even for someone who couldn't speak English and never had a music lesson or much of an education.
Lawrence WelkMy accent remained terrible. It was very hard for me to initiate any conversation with someone I didn't know.
Lawrence WelkThe ones the listeners loved most of all in those early years were the four Lennon girls who became the whole nation's little sisters.
Lawrence WelkOver and over I marvel at the blessings of my life: Each year has grown better than the last.
Lawrence WelkWhen my parents first arrived there, North Dakota had just been admitted to the Union, and the country was still wild and harsh.
Lawrence Welk