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1961... Neil Levang was an American musician who was best known from television's The Lawrence Welk Show, playing guitar, violin and banjo. Levang joined the United States Coast Guard in 1951 which took him to Seattle, Washington. There he continued in the music scene playing with “Texas Jim Lewis and his Lonestar Cowboys“. He also hosted his own radio show. In 1959, he was hired as a temporary guitar and banjo player on The Lawrence Welk Show when Buddy Merrill left to serve in the United States Army. Welk was so pleased with his ability that he hired Levang on a permanent basis when Buddy completed his tour of duty in 1961. Levang stayed with the Welk Band until its final show in 1982. That same year, at the Country Music Association Awards he was nominated for best artist on a specialty instrument, the mandolin. He was also an accomplished studio musician, playing on several records for artists such as Glen Campbell, Frank Zappa, Bobby Darin, Bobbi Gentry, David Clayton Thomas, Neal Hefti (“Batman Theme“), Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Neil Diamond and Noel Boggs. When Welk signed Merrill, he was looking for a guitarist to play music that would appeal to younger viewers, but he wasn’t really sure what that might be. LeVang was a smart replacement for Merrill. He was a great with a flatpick and he had a nice country feel to his playing. By now, this was the early 1960s, Welk had decided he didn’t want to have much to do with rock and roll but he still wanted to have a guitarist around. LeVang does a fine job chicken picking his Fender Jazzmaster on the Chet Atkins composition “Gallopin’ on the Guitar.” After Buddy returned from the army, he and Neil both stayed in the band. Every now and them they got do a duet like this incredible version of “San Antonio Rose.” Bob Wills would be proud. Levang performed as a studio musician on many television shows including Little House on the Prairie, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Brady Bunch, The Monkees, Highway to Heaven, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and a host of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. He was the featured guitarist with Naomi and Wynonna Judd on the 1985 and 1986 Academy of Country Music Association Awards television broadcast. He was the subject of an extensive career profile by historian Rich Kienzle in the December 2009 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine. Levang died in Canyon Country, California at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Nancy LeVang; son Mark and four daughters Coral, Sonja, Erika and Tanya. He left behind 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.. #NeilLeVang #CountryMusic #ClassicHitsStereo PayPal Donation:
