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Billy Wright,
Violin and Trombone (1955-1961)
Lawrence Welk's Talented Violinist,
Fiddler and Trombonist
Billy Wright was a violinist on the Lawrence Welk
Show from 1955 to 1961. Wright was born in Oklahoma
City, OK on February 13, 1917. He began taking
violin lessons at a young age and attended the University of
Oklahoma where he played in the
symphony and became a concert master. After
graduation, Wright left for California in the
1940s to play for Bob Wills and Tex Williams. In
1949, he joined Spade Cooley as a fiddler player and
trombonist and later worked in the early 1950's on
the Gene Autry TV show.
Wright joined the Welk Orchestra in 1955, the same year
the Maestro's show debuted on national television
and for the next six years was part of TV's most
popular string section which included Aladdin, Dick
Kesner, Bob Lido, Kurt Dietrle and and Jimmy
Getzhoff.
After developing diabetes, Billy left the show in
1961. He continued to play professionally,
however, until he passed on in 1975. He was the father of two
children.
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