Jayne Walton Rosen (August 28, 1917 – January 10, 2010) was an American entertainer, singer and actress, who worked as Lawrence Welk's Champagne Lady from 1940 until 1945. [1]
Rosen was born Jayne Flanagan in San Antonio, Texas, on August 28, 1917. [1] However, she was largely raised in Torreón, Coahuila, where her father worked for a silver mining company. [1] Her mother was a pianist and her sister was a dancer. [1] Rosen was influenced by Mexican culture early in life, learning Spanish and noting the country's sharp class divisions.
She attended Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, Texas. [1] Flanagan performed at talent shows around San Antonio, including the Majestic Theatre, under the stage name, Jayne Walton. [1]
She began singing at local radio stations in San Antonio, beforing moving on to stations in Oklahoma City, Dallas and Chicago. [1] One of her radio performances was heard by musician Lawrence Welk, who asked Walton to join his band, the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. [1]
Welk named Walton as his Champagne Lady in the early 1940s during World War II. [1] Walton, who could sing in Spanish due to her childhood in Coahuila, recorded the song Maria Elena with Welk, which was certified gold. [1]
Walton left the Lawrence Welk Orchestra in the mid-1940s to pursue a solo singing career. [1] She enjoyed success in Chicago and New York City. [1] She largely retired from the professional entertainment circuit in 1952, when she married her husband and adopted the name Jayne Walton Rosen. [1] She continued to make guest appearances on Welk's long-running television show, The Lawrence Welk Show. [1]
Rosen later worked as a salesperson at the Rhodes department store and Dillard's at the Central Park Mall. [1] She retired circa 1990. [1]
Rosen remained in good health throughout most of her life. However, she suffered from failing health during her later years, including heart disease and kidney disease, which required dialysis. [1] She also broke her hip in a fall. [1]
Jayne Walton Rosen died in San Antonio on January 10, 2010, at age 92. [1]She was buried in San Fernando Cemetery No. 3. [1]