Alice Lon Wyche (November 23, 1926 – April 24, 1981), known as Alice Lon, was an American singer and dancer on ''
The Lawrence Welk Show
''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1955 t ...
'' during its early years on network television.
Early years
Alice Lon Wyche was born on November 23, 1926, in
Cooper, Texas
Cooper is a city in and the county seat of Delta County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Located between the north and south forks of the Sulphur River, Cooper is the largest settlement in Delta County. At the 2020 United States census, the city ha ...
. By age 6, she was taking lessons in piano, singing, and dancing.
[ When she was 10, she was featured as a singer, earning $20 per week on her own radio program in ]Henderson, Texas
Henderson is a city and the county seat of Rusk County, Texas, United States. Its population was 13,271 at the 2020 census. Henderson is named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas.
The city has functioned as a major crossr ...
. In her teens, she traveled across Texas, performing in a variety of venues. She attended Kilgore College
Kilgore College (KC) is a public community college in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment in excess of 5,000 students and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate ...
in Texas and was a member of the school's Rangerettes dance team.[ ]
Biography
Throughout the big-band era and the years that followed, each of Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...
's female vocalists was always nicknamed "The Champagne Lady". Lon assumed the title in 1955, during the TV program's first season. Her alto singing voice graced Welk's show weekly until 1959, when she left the show over musical and money issues, although a popular legend developed that she was fired for showing too much leg and for crossing her feet on Welk's desk, something he didn't like. Viewers missed the popular Alice Lon, and Welk received many messages in the American Broadcasting Company mailbox demanding that she be rehired. Welk tried to bring her back, but she refused and was ultimately replaced in 1960 by Norma Zimmer
Norma Zimmer (July 13, 1923 – May 10, 2011) was an American vocalist, best remembered for her 22-year tenure as Lawrence Welk's "Champagne Lady" on ''The Lawrence Welk Show''.
Early years
Born Norma Larsen on a dairy farm in Shoshone County, I ...
. Lawrence and Lon eventually reconciled personally, but never worked together professionally again.
On Welk's show, Lon was known for wearing particularly full skirts with colorful petticoats
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', in current British Engl ...
designed by her mother, Lois Wyche, as she told ''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
''. She gave instructions in the article on how viewers might make their own petticoats.
She recorded an album for Coral Records titled ''It's Alice'' with orchestra directed by George Cates
George Cates (October 19, 1911 – May 10, 2002) was an American music arranger, conductor, songwriter and record executive known for his work with Lawrence Welk and his orchestra.
Biography
Born and raised in New York City, New York, United St ...
, the musical supervisor for Welk's show. The liner notes provide the following: "Miss Lon, first introduced by Welk as "Alice from Dallas", began singing, dancing and playing the piano at six. By the time she was ten, the precocious young singer was appearing on her own sponsored radio show.
In her teens she began touring her native Texas playing theaters, veterans' hospitals and army camps until she was signed by Interstate Theaters in Dallas. Appearing on the Interstate circuit, she also starred on its weekly radio show, "Showtime", emanating from the Palace Theater in Dallas. While touring for Interstate, she was invited to appear on the Don McNeill's famous radio show ''The Breakfast Club
''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The ensemble cast includes Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ring ...
'' in Chicago, an engagement that was to be the first of a great many radio and TV appearances in that area.
Family
Lon was married to Bob Waterman,[ with whom she had three sons, Bobby, Clint and Larry.][ ] After she and Waterman divorced, she married George Bowling.
On the night of June 13, 1955, Lon and her family were victims of a violent robbery in their North Hollywood, California home.
Death
She died April 24, 1981, at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas
Baylor University Medical Center (Baylor Dallas or BUMC), part of Baylor Scott & White Health, is a not-for-profit hospital in Dallas, Texas. It has 1,200 licensed beds and is one of the major centers for patient care, medical training and re ...
. The cause of death was scleroderma
Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. The disease can be either localized to the skin or involve other organs, as well. Symptoms may include areas ...
, an autoimmune
In immunology, autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other normal body constituents. Any disease resulting from this type of immune response is termed an " autoimmune disease" ...
disease.[
]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lon, Alice
1926 births
1981 deaths
People from Cooper, Texas
Singers from Texas
American women television personalities
Deaths from scleroderma
20th-century American singers
Lawrence Welk
20th-century American women singers
Television personalities from Texas