Welz started his music career with his group the Jay Rockers in the 1950s. Welz was amongst the first group of rock and roll pianists to start using the
boogie-woogie style with his left hand. He attributes this to the lack of a bassist in his band, forcing him to play basslines using his left hand. In interviews he has stated that it also came in handy when he joined the Comets because the notes coming from the upright bass were often inaudible due to the limits of amplification at that time. He attracted the attention of
Bill Haley when The Jay Rockers opened for the Comets. While serving as a recording engineer for the
Armed Forces Network in
Berlin, Welz recorded and co-produced a live session for
Bill Haley & His Comets for
AFN Frankfurt. This was the first occasion that Welz played on a Bill Haley & His Comets record, providing backing vocals on "
Shake, Rattle and Roll" and playing on "Honky Tonk". This session was released years later on Hydra Records. Upon exiting the military in 1963, Welz joined the Comets as pianist following the departure of
Johnny Grande. It was also during this time that Welz signed a record deal with
Canadian-American Records and released the single "Hey Little Moonbeam" which he co-wrote with
Steve Lawrence. He would continue to play with The Comets until 1966. In 1969, Welz recorded an album entitled "Listen To The Voices" with
Link Wray which was released on Music City Records. Welz also recorded an album called "Revival Fires" with
Roy Buchanan in the late 1960s. He is the owner and CEO of
Canadian-American Records and Caprice International Records. In the 1990s Welz began writing and recording country music in
Nashville with the Nashville Now Band and placed several singles on the
Cashbox chart including a country version of "Rock Around the Clock", "One Way Ticket", "Rockabilly", "Back to a Better Time" and the "Nashville Now Boogie". In 1992, Welz signed with Caprice International/BMG. Since the early 2000s Welz has annually toured in France with the Captain Joe Combo. == Personal life ==