Myron Floren
| Myron Floren | |
|---|---|
Floren (left) with Welk (center) in 1969.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Myron Floren |
| Born |
November 5, 1919 Roslyn, South Dakota |
| Died | July 23, 2005 (aged 85) Rolling Hills Estates, California |
| Occupation(s) | Accordionist, band leader |
| Instruments | Piano, accordion |
| Associated acts | Buckeye Four, The Lawrence Welk Show, Myron Floren Orchestra |
| Notable instruments | |
| Accordion | |
Myron Floren (November 5, 1919 – July 23, 2005) was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1980. Floren came to prominence primarily from his regular appearances on the weekly TV show, where Lawrence often referred to him as "the happy Norwegian".
He was highly regarded by bandleader Lawrence Welk, who was an accomplished accordion player in his own right. Floren functioned as Welk's principal assistant and second-in-command. In Floren's autobiography Accordion Man, written with his daughter Randee Floren, he recalled handling road manager duties when the band traveled, including hotel arrangements and other logistics. He has been seen in a hosting role of repeats of The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS.
Floren was born on November 5, 1919 to Ole and Tillie Floren. A first-generation American of Norwegian immigrant parentage, he grew up on a farm near Roslyn, South Dakota. Floren took up playing the accordion at age 6 when his father bought him a $10 mail-order squeezebox. He taught himself how to play the instrument, often spending several hours a day using his own methods of study. Soon he was performing solo around the community, often at fairs and social events.
He had scarlet fever as a child. His accordion playing saved his life, as the exertion strengthened his heart back to pre-fever performance.
At a 1980 performance at Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota, Myron Floren mentioned that he had a heart valve replacement (from a pig's heart) two years prior.
He worked his way through Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota by working at radio station KSOO as "The Melody Man" and teaching accordion all over the area. He tried to enlist in the Army when the United States entered World War II, but was turned down for active duty due to a damaged heart caused by a bout of rheumatic fever he suffered as a child. However, he insisted on serving his country by joining the USO, performing in Europe with notable stars such as Lily Pons and Marlene Dietrich. After the war, he returned home to South Dakota, where he married Berdyne Koerner in 1945. The couple eventually had five daughters and gained three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.
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