Los Angeles, California, February 5, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 
Driven by greed and ego, the son of now-famous bandleader Lawrence Welk was illegally ousted as CEO and chairman of The Welk Group, a hugely profitable organization he led for 42 years, by his own son and other family members as they sought to enrich themselves and use the profits for personal gain, according to a lawsuit filed last month.
The complaint filed on January 20 by Lawrence Welk Jr. in Los Angeles County Superior Court against his son, Kevin Welk, The Welk Group, Inc., his nephew Jonathan Fredricks and Stephen Baron, seeks to dissolve the legendary company responsible for numerous Grammy Awards, including music legend Dolly Parton’s 1999 album “The Grass is Blue,” which won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album through the company’s former music label, Sugar Hill Records.
“Like a scene from Macbeth, after Plaintiff built the careers of his son and nephew, they repaid him by stabbing him in the back, covertly driving him out of the company he built, stealing his money, and manipulating the board of directors to exert unnecessary power and control over Plaintiff, a now 85-year-old man,” the lawsuit said.
Lawrence Welk, Jr. still owns 28.551% of the company’s shares even after being ousted. The incredible move came in November 2022, when Welk’s son Kevin and his nephew John Fredricks called a special board meeting to change company rules that no one over the age of 74 can serve as CEO, the complaint said. Welke was 82 years old at the time.
The sole purpose of the amendment, the complaint continues, was to remove Welk, while at the same meeting the board of directors voted to eliminate the CEO position entirely, without severance. In turn, Welk lost his $35,303 monthly salary, expense account and bonus, along with his health benefits. The company’s board of directors then conveniently agreed to appoint Fredricks as the company’s new “President,” the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Lawrence Welk, Jr. largely responsible for building the renowned company The Welk Group, Inc. After building Heartland Music, he joined his father and launched the hugely profitable Welk Resorts. He acquired record labels including Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records, signed numerous renowned artists including John Fogerty and Linda Ronstadt, and oversaw the release of multiple hit records, including country legend Dolly Parton’s 1999 album “The Grass is Blue.” After spearheading the 2015 sale of Welk Music Group to Concord Music for tens of millions of dollars, Welk orchestrated the sale of Welk Resorts in a blockbuster deal for nearly $430 million in 2021 to Marriott.
He was an integral part of the company’s success, but was unceremoniously cast aside by his own family, who “stealed” money to line their own pockets and afford a lavish lifestyle, while Kevin Welk once spent $231,782.07 of the group’s money on an Aston Martin for his own personal use, the lawsuit alleges.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges, “Defendants executed their duplicitous scheme to conceal their fraudulent and criminal conduct” and “conspired, maliciously eliminating Plaintiff’s salary, bonus, and expense account, thereby terminating his health benefits.” The lawsuit further alleges that the defendants “conspired to form a cartel, continually voting over plaintiff’s objections and against his interests” and “their purpose was to conceal their fraudulent and criminal conduct, shamelessly driving out the man who built their career.”
There are two other related lawsuits from Lawrence Welk, Jr. pending – a financial elder abuse claim and a shareholder derivatives case – with trials scheduled for August 17 and October 19, respectively.
Which Jr. is seeking to liquidate the acclaimed company and is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
“The defendants in this case brazenly and maliciously abused their power by ousting our client, Lawrence Welk, Jr., after he had substantially built the illustrious company, The Welk Group, Inc.. Our client grew the company alongside his father, famed bandleader, Lawrence Welk, who garnered multiple Grammy Awards with the family’s music business, and otherwise built a dynamic real estate and resort brand, only for his son and nephew to essentially turn on him after he established their careers,” said the plaintiff’s attorney, Jordan Matthews. Holtz Matthews LLP. “We will not tolerate their reckless and malicious abuse of our client and intend to hold them fully accountable for their despicable actions in attempting to tarnish the legacy of an 85-year-old man and a giant in the industry.”
