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Artist
Myron Floren
12+ albums
polkaaccordionaccordeon polkaamericanaccordian
about
Myron Floren (November 5, 1919 – July 23, 2005, aged 88) was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982. He was highly regarded by 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, he recalled handling road manager duties when the band traveled, including making hotel arrangements and handling other logistical duties. Floren has been seen in a hosting role of repeats of The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS. Growing up on a farm near Roslyn, South Dakota, Myron took up playing the accordion at age six 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 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. When he tried to enlist in the Army when the United States entered World War II, he was turned down for active duty due to a damaged heart caused by a bout of rheumatic fever he had 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 Dak
