Guy Hovis dead at age 84: Singer who performed on legendary Lawrence Welk Show dies after battling illness in hospital

Singer Guy Hovis died at the age of 84 after battling an illness in hospital.

A longtime performer on the legendary variety series The Lawrence Welk Show, Hovis’ remarkable career has seen him release 15 albums, be inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and even perform at President George W. Bush’s inauguration.

The duo made music together with his then-wife Ralna English and performed on Welk’s show as the singing duo ‘Guy & Ralna’.

The loss was confirmed by his daughter Julie. TMZ that his father passed away peacefully on Thursday in Oxford, Mississippi.

Julie said her father had been hospitalized for the past few weeks with an undisclosed and persistent illness.

English, Hovis’ ex-husband and former singing partner, announced his death to his Facebook followers, saying Hovis was “getting worse” after being hospitalized for weeks.

Hovis performed at the inauguration of president George W. Bush in 2005

‘This will come as a shock to many of you, as it did to me,’ he began. ‘The man has been in hospital for several weeks. I spoke to him briefly on Monday and was deeply concerned.

‘He got worse and it pains me to tell you this but he died peacefully last night. Needless to say, we are all devastated right now and are just trying to cope with this tragic news. Thank you for your prayers for Julie, Sis and all of Guys’ family.’

Hovis’ first appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show was a duet with his then-wife in the program’s 1969 Christmas special.

While English was already a regular performer on the show, Hovis was invited to join the ‘Welk musical family’ after the presenter saw the passionate response from fans to the couple’s holiday looks, according to the singer. bio.

In an interview in 2015 Bad Local, He described Welk as ‘one of the most interesting people’ he has ever met and a man from whom he has learned a lot.

‘Lawrence Welk was one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I wasn’t used to the big group approach when I joined the show, so I learned a lot from it. He was a very outspoken person.

‘You always knew this was his show and he loved what he did. He also loved Ralna very much. If I needed anything from Mr. Welk, I always made a point to go to Ralna to get it.’

Hovis has a daughter with English, and despite their separation, they continued to perform together occasionally and remained on good terms.

The duo made music together with his then-wife Ralna English and performed on Welk’s show as the singing duo ‘Guy & Ralna’.

Hovis joined the variety show thanks to the efforts of his then-husband

‘We’ve had a pretty good relationship for almost 50 years. “It’s partly the blend of our voices, but also the fact that we’ve always gelled so easily together,” Hovis said. ‘We have also had a good personal friendship over the years, thanks to our daughter.’

They would appear on the Hovis show until it ended in 1982.

Following their separation, Hovis remarried. According to his bio, he married Sarah “Sis” Lundy and together they share three children and five grandchildren.

Hovis’ accomplishments include producing and singing, nominated by the Gospel Music Association, and performing Let the Eagle Soar at George W. Bush’s 2005 inauguration.

Accordingly ForbesHe began his Christian music ministry in 1986 and has performed at churches and events across the country.

Hovis also entered the world of politics, serving as state director for former U.S. Senator Trent Lott from 1990 to 2007.