Joe Feeney in America Sings?

[Werner]

Listening to the America Sings soundtrack this evening, one of the voices sounded familiar. in the "Gay Nineties" segment, It's the "father rabbit" singing "Where is my wandering boy tonight...out in the licensed saloon..." It just suddenly hit me: Joe Feeney! LOL

[Opus1guy]

Originally Posted by Werner

Listening to the America Sings soundtrack this evening, one of the voices sounded familiar. in the "Gay Nineties" segment, It's the "father rabbit" singing "Where is my wandering boy tonight...out in the licensed saloon..." It just suddenly hit me: Joe Feeney! LOL

I don't doubt at all that you could be right. But just want to point out the Disneyland's own tenor...Fulton Burley of the Golden Horseshoe...was also used for some attractions. I know that Betty Taylor...also from the Golden Horseshoe...for sure did the "Bill Bailey" number.

But I honestly don't know one way or the other about Father Rabbit. You could very much be right.

(BTW...I did see Joe Feeney actually perform in-person at Disneyland a few times...along with some other Lawrence Welk alumni.)

[Werner]

Originally Posted by Opus1guy

I don't doubt at all that you could be right. But just want to point out the Disneyland's own tenor...Fulton Burley of the Golden Horseshoe...was also used for some attractions. I know that Betty Taylor...also from the Golden Horseshoe...for sure did the "Bill Bailey" number.

But I honestly don't know one way or the other about Father Rabbit. You could very much be right.

(BTW...I did see Joe Feeney actually perform in-person at Disneyland a few times...along with some other Lawrence Welk alumni.)

Opus1guy -- Ah, the quest continues! I'd forgotten about Fulton Burley; he could have been our mystery singer as well.

Thanks for letting me know about Betty Taylor's "Bill Bailey" rendition. I always wondered who that was!

[pixie chick]

^The "Bill Bailey" part is one of my favorites from America Sings. Oh, how I miss it!!

[Professortango]

Soundtrack? How do I get one?

[disneytim]

Don't forget the other great tenor from the Golden Horseshoe: Donald Novis. Although his voice is a bit high to have been the "Down at the Licensed Saloon" guy.

And, BTW, America Sings is one of the tracks on the "Musical History of Disneyland" box set.

[Opus1guy]

Originally Posted by disneytim

Don't forget the other great tenor from the Golden Horseshoe: Donald Novis. Although his voice is a bit high to have been the "Down at the Licensed Saloon" guy.

Well...the fact that Don Novis died almost 10 years before the America Sings tracks were recorded...sorta left him off my short list.

[DisneyIPresume]

Where do you get that soundtrack? I would love it!!!

I am going off of memory only, but I don't think that was Joe Feeney. When I get to the word "wandering" the tonality (at least in my mind) does not quite match up. Of course I don't have the soundtrack so I can be totally wrong.

That being stated, it is not totally shocking that someone from the Lawrence Welk show would be lending their talents to Disney. If I recall several of his cast members were actually discovered at Disneyland. I think (although please don't quote me on this) the Champagne Lady was on one of the Disneyland Record recordings. And let's not forget Bobby Burgess was one of the original Mouseketeers.

[DisneyFunGuy]

WOW, the fact that someone else on here even knows who Joe Feeney is makes me feel so nastalgic! I will gladly admit that I was a Lawrence Welk watcher (along with my whole family) and even now, I'll watch the reruns when I see them on cable TV. I know I'm totally dating myself, but I love that kind of music and it just brings back fond memories of my childhood.

Oh yes, America Sings was one of my all time favorite attractions!! I was upset to learn it was closing down back in the late 80's. But at least most of the characters from that show are proudly a part of Splash Mountain...so that makes me happy!

[disneytim]

Originally Posted by Opus1guy

Well...the fact that Don Novis died almost 10 years before the America Sings tracks were recorded...sorta left him off my short list.

Oops.

[WDI33]

The wonderful Champagne lady Norma Zimmer is the soprano "solo" orchid in the Tiki Room! She was also the solo soprano rose in "The Golden afternoon" song from the Disney film "Alice in Wonderland." Sandy Griffiths and Sally Hart both performed in the Golden Horseshoe Review and Tanya Welk also sang at Disneyland before joining the Welk Cast.

[Opus1guy]

Originally Posted by WDI33

The wonderful Champagne lady Norma Zimmer is the soprano "solo" orchid in the Tiki Room!

And good friend of Lawrence Welk and the Lennon Sisters, and a guest performer on the Lawrence Welk Show...was master whistler Muzzy Marcellino...the very person Walt hired to do all the warble-whistling in that same Tiki Room show.