had been inducted into the Army on March 28, and at the time of Johnny’s birth, he was stationed in Alsace-Lorraine, the disputed territory between Germany and France. was born June 4, 1918, in Strasburg, N.D., to John and Anna (Lipp) Klein. drummers punctuate, embellish and set-up changes and rhythmic figures to make them come alive.

By providing secure time, dynamic intensity, and the right feel, a drummer can make a song come to life.” The magazine added, “a good drummer makes the rest of the band feel secure and improves everybody’s performance. Could a large part of this success have been Johnny Klein, the drummer?Īccording to Rhythm magazine, “the drummer is the backbone to any excellent band. The music was pleasant to listen to and often uplifting, making many people want to dance to it. 'The Lawrence Welk Show' lasted on television for decades, largely because the orchestra was very good. Johannes and Marianna Welk were the paternal grandparents of Lawrence Welk and also the parents of Rosina (Welk) Klein, Johnny’s paternal grandmother. Welk often spoke of his performers and members of his orchestra as his “musical family,” and in a sense, Klein was also a member of his biological family because he and Welk were related. FARGO - The drummer who may have performed the most often on national television was born and raised in North Dakota.įrom 1955 to 1971, Johnny Klein was the regular drummer on 'The Lawrence Welk Show,' which then went into syndication from 1971 to 1982, and episodes have been rerun weekly on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) since 1983.

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