Editing Pete Fountain (section)

==Lawrence Welk orchestra==

A talent scout for [[Lawrence Welk]], who saw Fountain performing at the Pier 600, brought him to the attention of Larry Welk, son of television bandleader [[Lawrence Welk]]. Persistent persuasion from the son led the senior Welk to invite Fountain to join the Lawrence Welk orchestra in [[Los Angeles]], where he relocated and lived for two years. Fountain became well known for his many solos on Welk's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television show, ''[[The Lawrence Welk Show]]''.<ref name="Keepnews (Fountain)"/> He was rumored to have quit when Welk refused to let him "jazz up" a [[Christmas carol]] on the 1958 Christmas show. Other accounts, including one in Fountain's autobiography ''A Closer Walk With Pete Fountain,'' indicate he in fact played a jazzy rendition of "[[Silver Bells]]" on the show which upset Welk, leading to Fountain's departure in early 1959. In an interview, Fountain said he left ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' because "champagne and bourbon don't mix."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.experienceneworleans.com/pete.html |title=A Closer Walk with Pete Fountain |last=Compagno |first=Nick |website=Experience New Orleans.com |access-date=September 23, 2006 |archive-date=October 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015104033/http://www.experienceneworleans.com/pete.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Fountain was hired by Decca Records A&R head [[Charles "Bud" Dant]] and went on to produce 42 hit albums with Dant. After Welk's death, Fountain occasionally joined with the Welk musical family for reunion shows.