The orchestra gained in popularity and started performing thoughout the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Welk used a gimmick: He gave away a free stick of gum to each person attending. It was followed by the Lawrence Welk Fruit Gum Orchestra. Lawrence left home when he was 21 and founded the Hotsy Totsy Boys in 1927. They played on the radio for free, to advertise where they were scheduled to perform. When Lawrence was 17, he formed a band that consisted of himself and a drummer.
He played at weddings and church dances to earn extra money for his family. Lawrence was taught to play the accordian by his father. The family spoke only German at home, so Lawrence did not learn English until he was in is early twenties. He was pulled out of elementary school to help work the farm. His parents were farmers, and he was the sixth of eight children. The family was originally from Alsace-Lorraine, when it was part of Germany. Lawrence Welk was born on March 11, 1903, to Russian immigrants in Strasburg, North Dakota. He was the host and bandleader of the Lawrence Welk Show for 16 years. Lawrence Welk was a bandleader, musician, accordion player, and a television impresario.
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