Former Lawrence Welk singer Dick Dale dies in Iowa

ALGONA, Iowa (AP) - Richard "Dick" Dale, who played sax and crooned tunes for the famed Lawrence Welk orchestra, has died in his Iowa hometown of Algona. He was 88.

Brian Schaaf, of Oakcrest Funeral Services, said Monday that Dale died Friday at a hospital in Algona. A Mass is scheduled Saturday at St. Cecelia Catholic Church in Algona.

Dale graduated in 1943 from Algona High School and sang and played the sax at many Midwest clubs, including the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. But he was best known for his work with Welk's orchestra and television program, which he joined after auditioning in 1951.

Dale and his wife, Marguerite, moved back to Algona in 2006. He told the Mason City Globe Gazette (http://bit.ly/148J29w ) in 2007 that, "I've had a wonderful career, really."