Kathie Sullivan is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

-born singer who appeared on television's The Lawrence Welk Show

The Lawrence Welk Show

The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...

from 1976 to 1982.

Early years

Born in Oshkosh

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...

, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, she began singing in church and later at George Nelson Tremper High School

George Nelson Tremper High School

George Nelson Tremper High School is a high school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and part of the Kenosha Unified School District. It was named after George Nelson Tremper, the principal of Kenosha High School from 1911 to 1944. The "new" school was completed in the fall of 1964, with the first...

 in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...

 where she sang in the choir and also played cello in the orchestra.

Musical career

She was discovered by Lawrence Welk

Lawrence Welk

Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...

 while attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of Wisconsin–Madison

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...

, where she was the local Miss Champagne Lady in a show that went on the road. She was hired in 1976 after completing her studies. She sang numerous solos, and often was paired with Dick Dale

Dick Dale (singer)

Dick Dale is an American singer and musician, best known as a featured singer and saxophone player on the TV variety show The Lawrence Welk Show....

 in various numbers.

As a Christian music

Christian music

Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....

 artist, she released several Gospel music

Gospel music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....

 albums and has performed for charitable originations as World Vision

World Vision

World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...

. Kathie also performed in a one-woman show as Jane Long around her home in Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

.

Today, she continues to perform, mostly at retirement communities for seniors

Old age

Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...

 and has hosted wraparounds for Welk repeats aired on PBS.

Personal life

Once believed to be romantically involved with Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman

Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...

, with whom she appeared on a 1981 episode of Fridays

Fridays

Fridays is the name of ABC's weekly late-night live comedy show, which aired on Friday nights from April 11, 1980 to April 23, 1982 with repeats airing until October 22, 1982...

(the incident was a hoax), she married in 1986 to high school boyfriend Hugh Tollack and is the mother of two daughters.