I played a Spaniard. I looked about as Spanish as any other fair-skinned German.

- Lawrence Welk

When my parents first arrived there, North Dakota had just been admitted to the Union, and the country was still wild and harsh.

- Lawrence Welk

I just had an idea that went right over my head.

- Lawrence Welk

I 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 Welk

Conversation didn't seem necessary when I put the accordion down and swung some young lady around the floor.

- Lawrence Welk

Dreams do come true, even for someone who couldn't speak English and never had a music lesson or much of an education.

- Lawrence Welk

Duke Ellington was famous for hs very original harmonic patterns.

- Lawrence Welk

His act may start out slow, but it tapers off.

- Lawrence Welk

I always worried I'd forget my lines or say the wrong words or the audience would laugh in the wrong places.

- Lawrence Welk

I expected to be a farmer like my father and brothers. Life seemed pleasant and orderly.

- Lawrence Welk

The first time I try anything is invariably not very successful. I tend to grow slowly, but solidly.

- Lawrence Welk

I 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 Welk

If I live to be 90, and I'm planning to, I'll always love performing for a live audience.

- Lawrence Welk

If they can't hum it after we play it, it's not for us.

- Lawrence Welk

My accent remained terrible. It was very hard for me to initiate any conversation with someone I didn't know.

- Lawrence Welk

Night after night I could feel the chills go up and down my spine, they played so well.

- Lawrence Welk

The 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 Welk

We really were a very musical family. Father managed to buy us a small pump organ, and I just loved this instrument.

- Lawrence Welk

You know, it's a long world.

- Lawrence Welk

For 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 Welk