4/1/99
Hottest Heats Airways

Dwayne Dopsie, winner of the "Hottest Accordionist" title at the finals which took place in Branson, Missouri on March 25, played up a storm when he recently guested on the Good Morning America Show (ABC-TV). In addition, the "Search for the Hottest" promotion, jointly sponsored by the American Accordionists' Association and the Lawrence Welk Resorts, was featured on the first page of the Life Section of USA TODAY with full color photos of the five sizzling finalists.

On April 4, the CBS-TV Sunday Morning Show will feature great coverage of the "Hottest" finals woven into an essay about the accordion. Negotiations are in progress for Hottest Wayne Dopsie to appear on the Jay Leno Tonight TV Show and Dave Letterman's Late Show, as well as the Late, Late Show.

To date, at least 50 newspaper articles have touted the search for the "Hottest Accordionist" program. According to Faithe Deffner, president of the internationally known American Accordionists' Association, "We believe this is the biggest, most far- reaching accordion promotional effort ever to spotlight the US accordion community and we are proud of the results which our joint efforts produced."

The Squeeze Is On:
The Lawrence Welk Resort and the American Accordionists' Association embark on a National contest to reveal the accordionist for the Millennium

BRANSON, MO, November, 1998.
The time is now for accordionists nationwide to "play the pleats" like never before. The Lawrence Welk Resort and the American Accordionists' Association - two icons of the accordion world - have joined forces to "Search for the Hottest Accordionist."

The national contest is designed to spark America's interest in the accordion, the only portable instrument capable of pleasing audiences with a wide variety of music styles: Cajun, Zydeco, blues, polka, jazz, gospel, Tex-Mex, rock, alternative, and more. The contest may even reveal the accordionist of the Millennium.

According to the official Hottest Accordionist contest spokesperson and legendary Welk accordionist Myron Floren, the goal of this contest is to shed more light on the accordion and dispel myths associated with the instrument we love. "If we do our job right, America will be singing a different tune when it comes to accordion music," quipped Floren, the late Mr. Welk's right-hand-man.

In all, the American Accordionists' Association (AAA), Mineola, NY, the nation's oldest and largest accordion organization, and The Welk Resort Center, Branson, MO, are setting out to prove that accordion music can be…well…HOT!

"People may not realize it, but they are exposed to some type of accordion music every day, in TV and radio commercials and even blockbuster movies," said Faithe Deffner, president of the AAA. "It's no secret that love for the accordion skipped a generation, but now it's back full force. In fact, there are more than one million accordion enthusiasts around today presenting fresh, new perspectives."

So what will make them "hot?" Contestants will be judged according to overall talent, charisma, professionalism and ability to entertain. A panel of judges will review the entries and select five talented players to heat things up in an accordion showdown on March 25 during Branson Fest, a five-day preview of Branson entertainment held at the Welk Resort Center.

The American Accordionists' Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1938 to increase awareness of and appreciation for the accordion. The AAA sets and maintains high standards for those interested in the accordion, honors achievements in the accordion community and supports accordion activities at all levels.

The Welk Resort Center, set amidst the green Ozarks hills of Branson, MO, features a well-appointed 160 room hotel and the state-of-the art, 2,300-seat Champagne Theatre, home of the live Welk Show starring the Lennon Sisters, Jo Ann Castle, and the 20-piece Lawrence Welk Orchestra; the popular Lennon Brothers Swing Music Show; and the Ava Barber Country Music Show.