Myron Floren

Myron Floren (November 5, 1919 – July 23, 2005) was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982. Floren came to prominence primarily from his regular appearances on the weekly television series in which Lawrence Welk dubbed him as "the happy Norwegian," which was also attributed to Peter Friello.

Floren was highly regarded by Lawrence Welk, who was an accomplished accordion player in his own right. Floren functioned as Welk's principal assistant and second-in-command. In Floren's autobiography Accordion Man, written with his daughter Randee Floren, he recalled handling road manager duties when the band traveled, including hotel arrangements and other logistics. Prior to his death, he hosted some of the repeats of The Lawrence Welk Show on PBS.

Early years Floren was born to Norwegian immigrant parents Ole and Tillie Floren.

Later years In 1977, he released a disco music album titled Disco Polka. It featured congas, accordion, and synthesizer covers of such songs as "Clarinet Polka", "How High the Moon", "L'amour est bleu", "Beer Barrel Polka", and "I Want a Girl (Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)".

After the show went off the air in the early 1980s, Floren continued to perform on the road, as many as 200 days a year, either as a solo artist, with his orchestra, or with other members of the Welk Show cast. He is also shown playing in the 1986 music video "Can't Cry Anymore" by American rock band Kansas.

Among the annual events which he headlined were the German Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota; the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida; the Wurstfest and his birthday in New Braunfels, Texas; and the PolkaFest at the Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri.

Recognition Floren was among the first class of inductees into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame in 1984 and inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1992 at a General Assembly in Trossingen, Germany, the Confédération internationale des accordéonistes awarded Myron Floren their Merit Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the international accordion movement. In July 1996, the American Accordionists' Association honored Floren for his achievements.

In 2022, the Myron Floren Archive and Accordion Collection was donated to the US National Music Museum.

Selected compositions Skating Waltz in Swing Swingin' in Vienna Kavallo's Kapers Windy River Dakota Polka Long Long Ago in Swing Minute Waltz in Swing Accordion Man Polka