NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
3/18/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES - Soprano soloist Tanya Welk-Roberts and pianist Gail Ferrell, who both appeared on the Lawrence Welk Show, will perform at a benefit gala for the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall.
Tickets are $60 each and admission will be by ticket only. Proceeds will be used to fund scholarships for string students attending NSU. Platinum and Gold underwriters of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Society will receive two tickets each. A reception following the performance will be held in the Alumni Plaza or in the Orville Hanchey Gallery in case of inclement weather.
Welk-Roberts and Ferrell will perform with the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra for several selections of show tunes and patriotic music from composers George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Aaron Copeland and Billy Joel.
Welk began performing at age 4 on stage singing at in her uncle's restaurant. She debuted on television at 5. When she was 16, she had recording contracts while appearing in commercials and working as a voice-over artist. Lawrence Welk discovered her when she was 18 and for over 12 years appeared on his television show. There she met and married Lawrence Welk's son, Larry Welk.
She has performed all over the country on television specials and commercials and had a recurring role on the popular daytime drama “General Hospital.” In 2000, she appeared in a PBS Special “Milestones and Memories, 50 years of Television.” She now hosts “Wrap Arounds” for PBS.
Ferrell was a pianist and singer on “The Lawrence Welk Show.” She started performing at age of six, in church, at rodeos and talent shows and on pickup beds stumping for local political candidates. After winning the talent and swimsuit competitions in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant and graduating magna cum laude in piano performance from the University of Tulsa, she studied music in Los Angeles before joining Welk's television show cast.
Ferrell sang solos and played piano and sang duets with Dick Dale, and wrote all the vocal arrangements for “Sandi, Gail and Mary Lou” and later for “Gail, Ron & Michael.” She made guest appearances on other television shows like DINAH! Mike Douglas and and Match Game.
Her original songs have been recorded by Barbara Mandrell. She has recorded with Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, Andy Williams, Ray Stevens, Lee Greenwood and Brenda Lee.
To buy tickets please call Linnye Daily at 352-7970 or Peggy Williams at 356-9009.
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