Friday, June 15, 2012

Janet Lennon's birthday

The Lawrence Welk show was a big part of my childhood. Every week my parents and I sat down to watch. Sometimes my parents would dance. To me, the Lennon Sisters were role models; gentle, kindly, and beautiful. Because Janet was only two years older than me, she was the one I was most drawn to. When I grew up and had little ones of my own, I was happy to discover that PBS offered reruns of the old show. Margaret and Michael loved it, just as I had. They still remember all of us piling onto the big bed at 7 o'clock on Saturday evenings.

On Janet Lennon's 66th birthday, I thought it would be fun to see an old clip of the Lennon Sisters, all of whom I am happy to say are still alive. Some still perform. Janet and Kathy have a wonderful doll business. Please go here to see a really nice video with them talking about it.

I love this song, and I love the way they sing it.

34 comments:

  1. Enjoyed listening...they reminded me of three sisters we had here in the U.K. called The Beverly Sisters. Ah...how times were then, genteel and harmonizing, polite and gentle singing.

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    1. I love your adjectives about the singing. Perfect.

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  2. These days they would have to audition in front of Howard Stern and imagine what he would say. We have grown so crass.

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    1. I don't watch any of that stuff. :<) Do you ever go to Branson? Kathy and Janet appear there with, I believe, another sister named Mimi.

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  3. Oh Yes, I grew up listening to them on the Lawrence Welk Show. "A one and a two and a"! I was never a fan of his show "BUT" I Loved the harmony of the Lennon Sisters... I always thought Janet was the cutest and "I wanted to be her",hehe!
    Happy 66th to her... and thank you for bringing back memories of beautiful days...
    Have a fun weekend,
    Hugs,
    Donna

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    1. Oh, I loved them all. Joanne Castle, and Larry Hooper, and Joe Feeney. :<) But those girls were always my favorites.

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  4. This was beautiful, Nan! Thank you for posting it, I've never heard of the Lennon sisters before.

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  5. Dear Nan,
    I LOVED the Lennon sisters! My sister and I had paper dolls of the Lennon sisters and we played with them until the paper was tissue-thin.
    When I babysat as a teen-ager, I would always sing the closing song as I put the kids to bed...you remember..."Good night, sleep tight, and pleasant dreams to you...here's a wish and prayer that all your dreams come true...." These kids are all grown up now, but still remember my singing!!
    I loved the Lawrence Welk show and also the Ed Sullivan show!

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    1. I vaguely remember those paper dolls. Do girls still play with them? Do they even make them anymore? Remember Betsy McCall?

      I'd forgotten that ending song - thanks for the reminder.

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    2. Dear Nan,
      I don't think girls even know what paper dolls are...my sister and I used to cut figures out of the Sears Catalog too. We played with everything! I think I remember Betsy McCall, I think she is the paper doll figure that had brown hair...that's all I remember. Oh yes, I remember songs! If only all my schoolwork had been set to music!

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    3. I just remember Betsy because my mother got the magazine, and there was always an outfit (and the doll?) in it.
      I'm the same way with songs. I remember in a third grade spelling bee spelling encyclopedia in the sing-song Jiminy Cricket way. :<)

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  6. I always watched with my "Omchen" (grandma). LOVED Lawrence Welk and it's on every Saturday evening on PBS here.
    And, once again, I LOVE your header pictures. I think you must have the best in blogdom.

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    1. Glad to know it is still on for another generation of little ones.

      Wow! What a compliment. My camera bows in thanks. As they say in England, it's nought to do with me. :<)

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  7. What fun that was to see and a pleasure to hear again. We also sat in front of the television set each week and watched the Lawrence Welk Show. To me, the Lennon Sisters were the reason for watching. A nice memory to share with us, Nan.

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    1. I was just that bit younger so I really looked up to them. I remember Janet in Teen magazine. I wanted to be her. :<)

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    1. And so happy they are still living, and some of them singing, and apparently all doing well.

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  9. Can't comment on the Lennon Sisters; never watched Lawrence Welk, but enjoyed this post.
    By-the-way, I've been meaning to compliment you on your last two header photos. The iris was special and this one is magnificent!

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    1. I wonder what was on the other channel then that you were watching? Saturday night 9pm? I think anyway.
      Thanks so much for the compliment. It really is the great, great new camera.

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  10. Fun memory - we were late to get TV as my dad thought it would destroy family life -- but then he finally broke down and got a set. He was happy to discover Lawrence Welk! He insisted we all watch it together every Sunday.. and he and mom would dance and then dance with us. So we had TV and our family life then ;>)

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    1. I always thought it did a lot for family life. I remember watching a lot with my folks. It was pleasant.

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  11. It looks as though those of us of 'a certain age' grew up with Lawrence Welk and crew as Saturday night entertainment. And yes, we watched the re-runs years later.

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    1. I'm really so pleased that others liked it, too.

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  12. I loved the Lennon Sisters, too, Nan. My two younger sisters and I watched Lawrence Welk with our parents. My father especially loved the show as he was more musically inclined than my mother. I had Lennon Sisters paper dolls, and I played with them for hours. I could never decide on my favorite Lennon Sister, a question I often pondered. What fun to see them again and hear about the doll business. I still have two of my grown-up dolls from my childhood--Rose and Lucille. Way before Barbies! I dearly loved those dolls. The crocheted rag doll a family friend made me as a young child finally wore out. The cuddly critter I carried everywhere, even to college, with me was a foam stuffed dog, named Poochie. My father gave all three of us one for Christmas one year. I think they may have been Basset Hounds that served as promo for Bassett Furniture--my dad and uncles owned a furniture store. The Lennon Sisters do evoke many memories indeed!

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    1. I so loved reading this. Thank you. Your experience mirrors that of Kathy and Janet. I'm thinking of getting the dolls for three little sisters for Christmas, daughters of friends.

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  13. Thanks for sharing this, Nan. I don't recall if my parents ever watched the Lawrence Welk show. If they did, it was on after we'd gone to bed.

    LOVE your header! Love the dew drops on the petals. It's a peony, right?

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    1. Ask your mother. I'd be surprised if she hadn't seen it. But then, Jill never watched.
      Yes, it was a peony. Now it is mock orange. I try to change it as the new flowers come and the old go by.

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  14. Lovely memories and a lovely song! Janet was my favorite, too. And my family didn't often miss the Lawrence Welk Show, either.

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    1. Isn't it just wonderful - all these people who commented who were watching at the same time all those years ago. I love it!

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  15. The Lennon Sisters! Haven't thought of them in ages. By the way, your header photo is stunning. I can never get that clarity and light in my photos. Just gorgeous.

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    1. Isn't it just so nice to know they are doing well!

      I'll email you about my camera. I've never had one like it. It is way smarter than I am. :<)

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  16. Hi i just happened to see this I'm a long time
    Lennon Sister fan have you checked out their
    Website and Facebook ? They are going to be
    Touring in PA NY OH in Sept and Oct and have
    Great Christmas Show in Branson MO nov-dec
    It's always fun to meet those who share same
    Childhood memories

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    1. Too far for me, but I would love to see them perform again. I just visited the website - lots of good stuff there. Thanks so much for coming by and leaving a note.

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