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Larry Hooper,
Singer (1948-1969 and 1973 - 1980)
Lawrence Welk's Deep Throated Bass
Vocalist Scored Hit Song "Oh, Happy Day"
Larry
Hooper was a versatile musician and
vocalist for the Lawrence Welk Show from 1948 to
1969 and again from 1973 to 1980.
Hooper was
born July 22, 1917 in Independence, Missouri,
just outside of Kansas City. After playing with the
Frankie Masters band, he joined the Welk band in
1948 when they were doing nighters at the Roosevelt
Hotel in New York. His trademark deep bass voice and
renditions of "This Old House" and "Asleep In The
Deep," along with his sense of humor has made him a
beloved fan favorite. He also scored hit songs with
"Oh Happy Day," and "Minnie the Mermaid."
Plagued
with health problems for years, he left the show on
sick leave in 1969 because of a heart condition,
which took him four years to recuperate from. He
returned for the first show of the 1973-74 season,
which drew an huge emotional ovation from the
audience and cast. He left the show for good in 1980
when his health began to fail once again, and passed
away three years later in 1983. Larry's wife of 31
years, Beverly Hooper, passed away in 2013 at the
age of 86 years old. They are both survived by their
daughters, Lori Hay, Melinda Shepherd, and Lisa
Neale.
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