Today, Jo Ann is the mother of two grown children, Joanie and Billy.and continues to entertain a new generation of fans, either at the Welk Resort in Branson or anywhere across the country. Medley: 'In The Mood' / 'Sing, Sing, Sing' orchestra featuring Henry Cuesta on clarinet 'They’re Coming to America' Guy Hovis & entire cast 'Last Date' Floyd Cramer at the piano 'Memory. She also recorded and released several solo albums featuring her work on the piano. Jo Ann Castle at the honky tonk piano 'I Know When I’m Happy' Arthur Duncan with Anacani, Ava, Mary Lou, Gail, Ralna. Jo Ann was a mainstay on the Welk Show until 1969, she played her honky tonk piano, did accordian duets with Myron Floren, and appeared in numerous comedic novelty skits with Larry Hooper, Bob Lido and Jack Imel. That was followed by more guest appearances on the Welk show until 1959, on her birthday was invited to be a regular cast member. When Jo Ann made her first guest appearance on the Lawrence Welk Show in 1958, she already had her own act, the Castle Quartet which consisted of Jo Ann and three men that performed engagements at the Fremont Hotel in Las Vegas and at the Dunes Hotel. Her television debut came at age seventeen when she played both the piano and the squeezebox on the "Ina Ray Hutton Show" and later performed on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts". She and her family relocated to Los Angeles to further her musical training, where at age fifteen was an accordianist-singer on Tex Williams' network radio show. It was in Ventura where Jo Ann first met the Maestro, and that increased her passion for the accordian.,plus took Castle as her last name from Castle Accordians. The Lawrence Welk Show continued on as a first-run syndicated program shown on 250 stations across the country until the final original show was produced in 1982, when Welk decided to retire. Welk thanked ABC and the sponsors at the end of the last network show. When she was eight, she was playing piano at banquets and other functions and when she turned ten, began taking accordian lessons in which by that time her family had moved to Ventura, California. As The Lawrence Welk Show fit into this category, ABC ended its run in 1971.
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Omens said subsequent investigations determined Ralston had allegedly molested seven other boys as well, but the statute of limitations prevented prosecutors from charging him in those molestations.She's known as the Queen of the Ragtime Piano and during her ten years on the Lawrence Welk Show, Jo Ann Castle has brought life and fun to television sets across America.and her fans, especially the men, are always asking for encore after encore!Īnd even today, her talents and flair for showbiz continues to excite folks from coast to coast.īorn Jo Ann Zeiring in Bakersfield, California on Septemshe made her first professional appearance as a peformer at age three by singing and dancing. Police executed a search warrant at Ralston's home in February 1984 and seized photographic slides depicting 13 young boys - who Omens said Ralston had allegedly molested - in sexual poses. When the teenager started firing the rifle at a camper, police were called and the boy told officers how Ralston had molested him. When Ralston left Los Angeles for a musical engagement in Florida, he put the boy up in a motel and gave him an air rifle to play with. Ralston then flew with the boy to Los Angeles, where for the next 10 days he engaged in sex with the teenager in his Granada Hills studio, Omens said.
Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Omens said Ralston met the 13-year-old Brooklyn runaway in early 1984 in New York City's Times Square and for the next two days, gave him money and shelter in exchange for sex.