Like most American families of the 1950s and
60s, we were glued to the television set watching the bubbles flow to the
Lawrence Welk show every Saturday night.
Everyone had their favorite “Welk Family” performer, and for my sister
and me, it was the Lennon Sisters. Maybe
because they were sisters, maybe because they were a lot younger than the average
Welk-ite, or maybe because they were just an average family from Venice,
California. But Dianne, Peggy, Kathy and
Janet were our Saturday night entertainment, the ones we poured through the magazines
to see and the ones who we played paper dolls with. A new set of dolls came out every year, and
we were right there to buy them as soon as they hit the toy stores! 
In
1955, The Lennons were a tight-knit Catholic family (six girls and five boys) living in a small two-bedroom house in Venice,
CA with their milkman Dad and house-wife Mom. When Larry Welk Jr. caught his
classmate Dianne (Dee Dee) Lennon singing at an Elks Club party, he arranged
for her and her sisters to sing for his famous father - who was home with the
flu. Welk loved the girls and hired them for his new TV show on ABC.
The Girls signaled the start of each Christmas
Season for me because Ladies Circle Magazine did a cover story each year for
their December issue, featuring the homemade Christmas gifts that the girls
would be giving that year. I couldn’t
wait for that magazine and looked forward to it each year!
We went along through their lives as though
we were right there with them. Each
marriage (Dick Gass, Dick Cathcart, Mahlon Clark, Lee Bernhardi), each new baby. We watched them through their Welk careers
and later on, their show with Jimmy Durante.
And we grieved with them at the senseless death of their Father, Bill
Lennon. Yes, the Lennons truly felt like
family to us.
In
1999, younger sister Mimi replaced Peggy upon her retirement. Dianne has
also since retired. The current line-up of the Lennon Sisters is now a trio
consisting of Mimi, Janet and Kathy.
 |
| Peggy |
 | ||
| Dianne |
 |
| Mimi, Kathy, Janet & Dianne |
 |
| Kathy, Janet & Mimi |
The
Lennons were a part of a Lawrence Welk Cookbook that I bought back in the
Eighties and this beautiful chocolate Bundt cake was one of their
contributions. It’s a MUST for anyone
who loves to bake or antone in general who loves chocolate!
The Lennon Sisters Chocolate Bundt
Cake
1 box Duncan Hines Dark chocolate fudge
cake mix (Hershey syrup inside ok)
1 small box Dark chocolate fudge Jello Instant
Pudding
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
3/4 cup Dark strong coffee (De-caf ok -- caffeine bakes out
8 oz Sour cream
2 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix
ingredients except chocolate chips at low speed 30 seconds.
Scrape sides of bowl, then mix at medium-high
for 2-3 minutes.
Add
chocolate chips and mix at low speed for 30 seconds.
Pour batter in to lightly oiled Bundt pan.
Bake for 50 - 55 minutes (until inserted
tooth pick comes out clean). Chips will be gooey.
Let cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar or
melt additional chocolate chips with a touch of water and drizzle over cake.
Well, you have done it again!!! A blog entry that I will go back to over and over and over!!!! What memories this brought back! We LOVED the Lennon Sisters and their paperdolls were our favorites! I was always Peggy & Kathy and you were always Diane and Janet. Just like "Little Women"---I was ALWAYS Jo and Beth and you were ALWAYS Meg and Amy! They were indeed like "family"---we grieved with them when their dad died and rejoiced with them over each wedding and baby. And not only Diane, Peggy, Kathy & Janet---we knew all their siblings by name! And you had a crush on Kip Lennon! When Mimi joined them, we felt as proud as if she was OUR sister!
ReplyDeleteWhat positive influences they were on us and everyone who loved them---they were family-oriented Christian "LADIES" and one never had to fear that some scandal would erupt about them. What a contrast to young girls' heroines today. Thank you, Lennon Sisters, for being such good role models.
And thank you, Nancy----what a wonderful time we had growing up in those innocent years!