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KEN PAULSEN ORCHESTRA |
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Welcome.
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The
Ken Paulsen Orchestra started in 1966 but had been handed down through
the family since 1917. Ken's grandfather, Emil, and three of
his children traveled by horse and wagon playing dance jobs until 1934
when son Arnold (Ken's father) moved to Waterloo, Iowa to play with a
polka band called Moellers Accordian Band. Ken was born in 1939 to Arnold & Vi
Paulsen and a short time later they moved to Davenport, Iowa. Arnold served in World War II, and after the war started back in the music business with a six piece band. In 1966 Arnold and Ken, along with Von Crawford (who arranged the music for Ken Paulsen) started a polka band called Paulsen's Dutchmen. In 1970 the band was changed to what it is today, a nine piece orchestra called the Ken Paulsen Orchestra. |
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Ken Paulsen
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In 1975 Darlene Breuwet
joined the orchestra as a vocalist and since 1989 has been doing both the vocals and
playing the piano. |
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Darlene |
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This quartet is known as the
Harmonaires and works on special occassions with the orchestra, such as shows, and on some
special dances.
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The Harmonaires |
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Since 1988 the orchestra has been traveling almost nation-wide, north to Minneapolis, south to Biloxi, east and south to Miami, and west to Denver. The orchestra plays mostly ballrooms, but also some weddings, anniversaries, and big band shows, doing your favorite big band hits, fox trots, waltzes, polkas, and Latin, such as the cha-chas, rumbas, and sambas. |
