Longtime ‘Lawrence Welk Show’ regular to sing at fundraiser gala in Cedar City

Written by Jeff Richards
August 20, 2022
Screenshot of Sandi Griffiths performing "Sentimental Journey" on "The Lawrence Welk Show" in 1973. Griffiths and two of her daughters will perform at a fundraiser gala in Cedar City, Utah on Aug. 27, 2022 | Image courtesy of Jenni Wilson, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A St. George woman who was a featured performer on “The Lawrence Welk Show” for more than a decade is scheduled to reprise a selection of her favorite songs at a fundraiser gala in Cedar City on Aug. 27.

Screenshot of Sandi Griffiths (in center of trio) performing on “The Lawrence Welk Show.” Griffiths and two of her daughters will perform at a fundraiser gala in Cedar City, Utah on Aug. 27, 2022 | Image courtesy of Jenni Wilson, St. George News / Cedar City News

Sandi Griffiths, who appeared on Welk’s signature musical variety show from 1968 until 1980, will appear with her daughters Jenni Wilson and Emili Whitney at the Festival Hall from 6-9 p.m. All three women are Southern Utah residents, with Griffiths and Whitney living in St. George and Wilson residing in Cedar City.

Among the featured songs on the evening’s playlist are “Sentimental Journey,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Walking in the Sunshine” and “Top of the World.” 

Griffiths said being on Welk’s show was “an extraordinary experience.” 

“It was a wonderful time in my life,” she told Cedar City News, adding that she started out on the show performing as a duo along with Sally Flynn Hart.

“When Sally left to go solo on Broadway, I began singing in a trio with Gail Farrell Anderson and Mary Lou Metzger,” Griffiths added.

During her years on the show, Griffiths married her husband Brent Griffiths and they had their four oldest children. Sandi Griffiths ultimately retired from the show in 1980 in order to be at home more with their growing family, she said.

Griffiths said she stayed in touch and kept singing with her “Welk pals” over the years, appearing in occasional concerts until 2011. 

Her daughter Jenni Wilson said she remembers being on the show as a young child, mostly at Christmastime, when she and her siblings would sing carols and other festive favorites.

“There’s one video of myself when I was 2, singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ with my mom on the show,” Wilson recalled.

Promotional flyer for “Welk Memories with Sandi Griffiths,” a fundraiser gala scheduled for Cedar City, Utah on Aug. 27, 2022 | Image courtesy of Jenni Wilson, St. George News / Cedar City News

The upcoming Cedar City event, titled, “Welk Memories with Sandi Griffiths,” is meant to help raise money to help build a school for children in Pakistan, according to Wilson, who started the nonprofit organization Living Hope Educational Enterprises about four years ago to help Pakistani children get out of “the cycle of illiteracy and poverty” by having access to formal education.

Although the school’s anticipated enrollment had started out at around 40 students, it quickly expanded to more than 100, Wilson said.

“It’s been going for over four years successfully, but we’ve never had a really good building to meet,” she said. “We’ve just been meeting in a local residence. And now with the school growing, we need a bigger facility that can just be dedicated to our school.”

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to Living Hope Educational Enterprises, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Cedar City, visit its website.

Griffiths said she is eagerly looking forward to the upcoming event.

“Through the years I have also loved singing with my family,” Griffiths said. “When my daughter Jenni invited me and another daughter, Emili, to perform a charity concert for her non-profit school in Pakistan, we were happy to lend our hands and our voices to this wonderful cause.”

“We invite you to come join us and share a beautiful evening of music, stories and laughter as we sing and reminisce about the big band sound of Lawrence Welk and the joy of music,” Griffiths added.

The evening will begin with a VIP reception from 6-7 p.m., when the VIP guests will be able to meet with Griffiths and her daughters, have photo opportunities and enjoy light refreshments. There will also be a silent auction. Dressy or nice casual attire is preferred, according to the event’s promotional flyer.

Then, starting at 6:45 p.m., the VIP guests and those arriving for general admission will be seated, with the two-hour featured program to follow thereafter, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 for general admission, $125 for VIP, with group discounts available. 

To watch a YouTube video of Sandi Griffiths and others performing “Sentimental Journey” in 1973, click here. More such videos can be found in the playlists here and here.

Event details

  • What: “Welk Memories with Sandi Griffiths,” a fundraiser gala benefiting schoolchildren in Pakistan.
  • When: Saturday, Aug. 27. VIP reception 6-7 p.m., program 7-9 p.m.
  • Where: Festival Hall, 96 North Main, Cedar City.
  • Tickets: General admission $50 per person, VIP $125. Group discounts available. Details here.
  • Additional information: Living Hope Educational Enterprises website.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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