Jo Ann Castle
American pianist (1939–2026)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jo Ann Castle (née Zering; September 3, 1939 – May 8, 2026) was an American honky-tonk pianist who appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show.[2] She adopted her stage name from the name of an accordion manufacturer, another instrument she played. She was often referred to as "Queen of the Honky-Tonk Piano" by Lawrence Welk.
September 3, 1939
Jo Ann Castle | |
|---|---|
 Castle on the left with Lawrence Welk and Cissy King, 1969 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Jo Ann Zering[1] September 3, 1939 Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2026 (aged 86) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Pianist |
| Instruments | |
Life and career
Jo Ann was born to William George Zering (1904–1987), a railroad brakeman for the Santa Fe Railroad, and Dorothy Leona Easterly (1918–1996), a Harvey Girl, who worked as a hostess at the Bakersfield Harvey House restaurant.
Castle started her career in Bakersfield, California. When she was 3 years old, she began singing, dancing and performing within her local community.[3]
Originally introduced to Welk by Joe Feeney in 1959, Castle became a permanent member of the Welk Family, replacing the departing Big Tiny Little. Shortly after joining the Show, Castle married cameraman Dean Hall. They divorced in 1966 after having a daughter. Castle married again in 1968 and had a son and a daughter. Castle left the Welk Show in 1969 and divorced in 1971. Her third marriage, in 1978, ended in 1986.
In the 1990s, Castle performed at the Welk-owned Champagne Theater in Branson, Missouri, as well as making a guest appearance for a show with Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra on RFD TV.
On September 3, 2011, Castle married her fourth husband, Lin Biviano, who was a trumpet player from Boston.
Castle died on May 8, 2026, at the age of 86, as announced by several of her Welk co-stars.[4][5][6] She had been suffering from chronic pain for several years prior to her death.[5]
