Scott Frank

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Scott's early career was rooted in Fargo. He was the music director at radio station WDAY in Fargo from 1944 to 1956, where he scored over 2,500 arrangements for the station while composing music for community theater groups and conducting local ice shows. In 1956, bandleader Lawrence Welk asked him to join his orchestra and his nationwide television show. He appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show playing piano and harpsichord during his tenure on the show until 1969, when he was replaced by the late Bob Smale. He also worked behind the scenes of the Welk show as an arranger, assisted the production staff and furnished programming ideas. Scott also arranged thousands of songs and recorded albums in his own right for Coral and Dot Records.

In Their Own Story

After leaving the Welk show, Scott moved back to Fargo with his wife, where he continued to work in music, organized a big band, and taught a course at North Dakota State University for a year plus continued to arrange music. By the late 1970s, he moved back to California and formed his own orchestra, which he led until he died in October 1995. By that time, he lived in Palm Desert and had arranged more than seven thousand songs in his entire career. He was married to his first wife, Janette Daniels Scott from 1940 until her death in 1979; they had four children: Douglas, Sally, Todd and Frank. His second wife, Audrey Roseland Scott (1924-2008), worked for Scott when they were at WDAY in Fargo during the 1940s. They were married from 1993 until his death two years later.

Reader's Guide

Francis Scott's career shows a dedicated musician who moved from local radio to national television. His time at WDAY in Fargo from 1944 to 1956 was a period of intense productivity, where he created over 2,500 arrangements. Joining Lawrence Welk in 1956 brought him to a nationwide audience, playing both piano and harpsichord on the show until 1969. Behind the scenes, he served as an arranger, assisted production staff, and furnished programming ideas. He also recorded albums for Coral and Dot Records. After leaving the show, he returned to Fargo, organized a big band, and taught at North Dakota State University for a year. In the late 1970s, he moved back to California, formed his own orchestra, and led it until his death in 1995.

Did You Know?

• Francis Scott was born in Fargo, North Dakota on July 21, 1921.
• He was the music director at radio station WDAY in Fargo from 1944 to 1956, scoring over 2,500 arrangements.
• He played piano and harpsichord on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1956 until 1969.
• He arranged more than seven thousand songs in his entire career.
• His second wife, Audrey Roseland Scott, worked for him at WDAY in Fargo during the 1940s.