| Home Surname List Name Index Sources Email Us | Eighth Generation64. Beverly Jane GEHLSEN was born on 7 June 1927 in Clinton, Clinton County, IA.2 Beverly Jane GEHLSEN and Lawrence Paul "Larry" HOOPER were married on 7 April 1952.2 Lawrence Paul "Larry" HOOPER was born on 22 July 1916 in Lebanon, Laclede County, MO.2 Wikipedia Article: "Larry Hooper (July 22, 1917 in Independence, Missouri – June 10, 1983 in Los Angeles, California) was an American musician and vocalist. He was best known to television audiences as part of The Lawrence Welk Show as a featured singer and pianist in Welk's orchestra. Born in Independence, Missouri, he joined the Welk band in 1948 when they were doing evening performances at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. His popularity was largely due to his deep bass voice, renditions of 'This Old House' and 'Asleep In The Deep,' and his sense of humor. He also achieved success with songs like 'Oh Happy Day,' 'Ding Dong Daddy' and 'Minnie the Mermaid.' Plagued with health problems for years, he left the show on sick leave in 1969 due to a heart condition, which took him four years to recuperate from. He returned for the first show of the 1973-74 season (the 'Tribute to Disney' episode, singing 'Oh Happy Day'), which drew a huge emotional ovation from the audience and cast. He left the show for the final time in 1980 when his health began to fail again, and died three years later in 1983 of kidney failure. Recently, Hooper has received new interest because of a video tape-loop played before Howie Mandel's stand-up shows of him singing 'Oh Happy Day' for 20 minutes." . After 1948 he was in California. He was a musician and singer with the Lawrence Welk orchestra. He died on 10 June 1983 at the age of 66 in Glendale, Los Angeles County, CA.2 Beverly Jane GEHLSEN and Lawrence Paul "Larry" HOOPER had the following children:
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