You might not be familiar with The Andrews Sisters, but you should be if you're at all interested in entertainment history. 1946 found them in the Top Ten with the gold-selling "South America, Take It Away" (with Crosby), "Rumors Are Flying" (accompanied by guitarist Les Paul), and "Christmas Island" (backed by Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians). She said, "We had been together nearly all our lives. They also appeared in a number of films, supporting Abbott and Costello in Buck Privates, In the Navy, and Hold That Ghost (all 1941), and appearing in their own series of musical comedies, which included Private Buckaroo (1942), Whats Cookin? The defining sister act of all time with well over 75 million records sold by which the swinging big-band era could not be better represented were the fabulous Andrews Sisters: Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne. Her mother, Olga, was Norwegian. In the years just before and during World War II, the Andrews Sisters were at the height of their popularity, and the group still tends to be associated in the public's mind with the war years. She was 94. Unfortunately, the close harmony on songs like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" didn't reflect their family dynamic. All three of us were upset, and we were at each other's throats all the time. Patty and Maxene never did fully reconcile. Vocal. The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The 2010 video game Mafia II features numerous Andrews Sisters songs, with "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Strip Polka" and "Rum and Coca-Cola". There's nothing I would do to change things if I couldYes, I would. Lucy played LaVerne, Kim (Lucie Arnaz) played Maxene, and Craig (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) played Bing Crosby. MinnPost explains that the sisters' unique song stylings contrasted sharply with the prevailing winds of popular singers at the time, particularly women. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January 3, 1916 - October 21, 1995), and mezzo-soprano Patricia "Patty" Marie Andrews (February 16, 1918 - January 30, 2013). Providing a musical security blanket to a war-torn country via records, films, radio, clubs, stages, canteens, they bravely traveled overseas war zones emphasizing through song the motto that America was strong and proud and to keep on singing and swinging! ", Along with Bing Crosby, separately and jointly, The Andrews Sisters were among the performers who incorporated ethnic music styles into America's Hit Parade, popularizing or enhancing the popularity of songs with melodies originating in Brazil, Czechoslovakia, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Trinidad, many of which their manager chose for them. (1943), to war-time factory workers in Swingtime Johnny (1943). Patty, the lead singer of the group, was 7 when the trio was formed, and 12 when they won first prize at a talent contest at the local Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, where LaVerne played piano accompaniment for the silent film showings in exchange for dancing lessons for her and her sisters. Many of their Decca recordings have been used in such television shows and Hollywood movies as Homefront, ER, Agent Carter, The Brink's Job, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Swing Shift, Raggedy Man, Summer of '42, Slaughterhouse-Five, Maria's Lovers, Harlem Nights, In Dreams, Murder in the First, L.A. Their next big hit was "I Can Dream, Can't I?," a gold single on which Patty sang lead with her sisters providing backup; it hit number one in January 1950. In 1953, the group broke up with Laverne going to New York to study dramatics. ", By the onset of World War II, the Andrews Sisters were at the top of the charts. Although they were fired soon after their first night on the program Saturday Night Swing Club, they were signed to a recording contract by a Decca Records executive who had heard the broadcast. [28], Patty continually distanced herself from Maxene, until her death, and would not explain her motives regarding the separation. During their first weeks with the label, the sisters made the rather idiosyncratic choice to record a jazz-influenced rendition of the Yiddish song Bei mir bist du schon. The recording was released after Christmas 1937; by New Years Eve it had become the most popular song on New York radio stations, and it went on to become the first million-selling record by a female singing group. The sisters spent summers in Mound[1] with their uncles Pete and Ed Solie, who had a grocery store there. Patty also led them through more than a dozen movies, like Hollywood Canteen. Eldest sister LaVerne died in 1967 at the age of 55 after a year-long bout with cancer[24] during which she was replaced by singer Joyce DeYoung (May 24, 1926 March 7, 2014). Unfortunately, while the adhesive harmonies of The Andrews Sisters were intricately close, their personal harmonies were more discordant.Second only to perhaps Bob Hope in commitment and extensive USO touring, the girls' profound influence extends even today with such current pop idols as Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters, Barry Manilow, The Manhattan Transfer and Christina Aguilera. Their reign is all the more remarkable given that they swam against the current of contemporary music trends while making it seem effortless. They turned to singing as children, entertaining on local radio and in amateur revues, with Patty taking the lead, Maxene singing high harmony, and LaVerne low. [19] The English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. Over Here! The million-selling "Pistol Packin' Mama," backed with "Vict'ry Polka," was a two-sided hit with Crosby in 1943-1944, then they topped the charts with their own "Shoo-Shoo Baby" in January 1944. The song was a Yiddish show tune, Bei Mir Bist Du Schn (Means That Youre Grand), with new English lyrics bySammy Cahn, and the Andrews Sisters version, recorded in 1937, became the top-selling record in the country. (Mr. Melcher later married Doris Day.) Her father, Peter, was a Greek immigrant who changed his name from Andreos to Andrews when he came to America. Patty, ever the trouper, continued on television, in clubs and in film cameoswherever there was an audience.In 1973, Patty and Maxene reunited for their first Broadway musical, the nostalgic "Over Here" (Tony-winning Janie Sell played the LaVerne counterpart) in which they performed their old standards following the show's second act; but it did little to repair the strained Patty/Maxene off-stage relationship, especially since LaVerne wasn't around to foster peace-making tactics. LaVerne had founded the original group, and often acted as the peacemaker among the three during the sisters' lives, more often siding with her parents, to whom the girls were extremely devoted, than with either of her sisters. "[41] Maxene died October 21, 1995, at age 79. As music biographer Michael Freedland said, "The Andrews Sisters were swing personified. She was born in Mound, Minnesota on 16 February 1918, the daughter of Peter Andreos (changed to 'Andrews' upon arriving in the US) and Olga Sollie. Laverne became a career housewife and Patti stayed in show business as a single after their hopes and ambitions clashed with one another. Their second daughter, Anglyn, died at eight months of age on March 16, 1914. In 1940, signed to Universal Pictures, they made the first of a series of low-budget "B" movies, Argentine Nights. The plots may have been pancake-thin but they were sure-fire morale boosters and needed war-time tension relievers. 3.11. They were the Benny Goodman and the Glenn Miller and the Artie Shaw bands combined into vocal harmony." The harmonies ended up being closer than the Andrews Sisters were Keystone Features/Getty Images The sisters grew up singing together in Minnesota. [citation needed] Elvis Presley was a fan. Thus, in Argentine Nights and the sisters' next film, Buck Privates, the Andrews Sisters dance like the Ritz Brothers. They returned to the hit parade in April 1939 with their recording of the novelty song "Hold Tight, Hold Tight." Maxene and Patty went through painful divorces (Maxene split with the group's manager Lou Levy; Patty lost agent and husband, Martin Melcher to singer Doris Day), and lost their parents within a year of each other, as did their mentor Jack Kapp of Decca Records. 18), "The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn (January 3, 1916 - October 21, 1995), and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" (February 16, 1918 - January 30, 2013). As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In November 1933, they joined a vaudeville troupe for six months, traveling around the Midwest. After the Belasco band broke up that summer, they were signed to Decca Records on their own. Some of their accomplishments include selling over 90 million records, recording about 700 songs and earning nine gold records. This song charted on June 17, 1939 at #5.. Following the collapse of their father's Minneapolis restaurant, the sisters went on the road to support the family. They had no children. [33] Their versatility allowed them to pair with many different artists in the recording studios, producing Top 10 hits with the likes of Bing Crosby[34] (the only recording artist of the 1940s to sell more records than The Andrews Sisters), Danny Kaye, Dick Haymes, Carmen Miranda, Al Jolson, Ray McKinley, Burl Ives, Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, Dan Dailey, Alfred Apaka, and Les Paul. The following year, they were among the inaugural inductees to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The Andrews Sisters, from left, Maxene, Patty and LaVerne, epitomised the 1940s era, 1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat. ". Patty later sued her sisters over the apportionment of their late parents' estate. ), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Last surviving Andrews Sisters member Patty Andrews dies at 94", "Patty Andrews of Andrews Sisters Dead at 94", "Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Andrews Sisters", "Patty Andrews, Last Survivor of Wartime Sister Trio, Dies at 94", "Patty Andrews, last of the famed sisters, dies", "Patty Andrews, Singer With Her Sisters, Is Dead at 94", "Sholom Secunda The Story of Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", "Last of 1940s hitmakers Andrews Sisters dies in California", "Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters, dies at 94", "Columbia Law School & UCLA LAW Copyright Infringement Project", "Patty Andrews, Leader Of The Andrews Sisters, Dies", Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series, "Patty Andrews Dies, Singer Was Last Surviving Member of the Andrews Sisters", "St. Petersburg Times Google News Archive Search", "Maxene Andrews, 79, of the Andrews Sisters", "Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, The Andrews Sisters May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You Gospel", "The Current Rewind: The Andrews Sisters & Lynda Wells", "OFFBEAT: Singer Patty Andrews manager husband dead at age 88", "Joyce Marie DeYoung Murray (19262014) Find A Grave-herdenking", "L A Noire OST Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters Pistol Packin Mama", "Flying Legends 2013 Clips featuring the Manhattan Dolls", "Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters: "Jingle Bells", "The Joey Bishop Show S3 E31 - Joey & The Andrews Sisters 5/30/64", Discography of American Historical Recordings, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Andrews_Sisters&oldid=1142225302, "Hold Tight, Hold Tight (Want Some Sea Food, Mama? American Horror Story, Just Shoot Me, Gilmore Girls, Mama's Family, War and Remembrance, Jakob the Liar, Lolita, The Polar Express, The Chronicles of Narnia, Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!). There were rumblings amid the group. They were popular during the swing and boogie-woogie eras. After winning a Minneapolis talent contest when they were still children, they went on to tour vaudeville, too. Maxene Andrews married music publisher Lou Levy in 1941, separating in 1949. As recounted in The Andrews Sisters: A Biography and Career Record, Patty said, "No, fellas, this is from the CO the war is over, so you don't have to go." They delivered an optimistic, upbeat war campaign that instilled hope, joy and allegiance through song, comedy, and lively movement. Other songs closely associated with the Andrews Sisters include their first major hit, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schn (Means That You're Grand)" (1937), "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel)" (1939), "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" (1940), "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me)" (1942), and "Rum and Coca Cola" (1945), which helped introduce American audiences to calypso. But, in a sense, they had no competition. The Andrews Sisters typically appeared as themselves in films, and often Patty took the romantic lead. During the war, they entertained the Allied forces extensively in Africa, and Italy, as well as in the U.S., visiting Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard bases, war zones, hospitals, and munitions factories. They practically grew up on the vaudeville circuit, roughing it and toughing it with various bands and orchestras.Signed by orchestra leader Leon Belasco in 1937, the girls made their very first recordings with "There's a Lull in My Life" (an early solo by Patty), "Jammin'" and "Wake Up and Live." Patty Andrews had a strong desire to stand out and didn't like that her career identity seemed permanently tied to the Andrews Sisters. Peter Andrews did not think it honorable to have his daughters in show business and decided they should go back to school and become secretaries. They broke up in 1967 after the death of LaVerne, but their music is still played over certain radio . It was the last major tour for the sisters and was cut short owing to a conflict with the show's producers over pay for the sisters, resulting in the cancellation of an extensively scheduled road tour. with Vic Schoen and his orchestra, unless otherwise noted: From top: Maxene (top left), LaVerne (top right), and Patty (center) in October 1943. starred Maxene and Patty (with Janie Sell filling in for LaVerne and winning a Tony Award for her performance) and was written with both sisters in mind for the leads. 2 The Hollywood Canteen states that the Andrews Sisters' radio transcription of Elmer's Tune was "so popular it even played on German radio," noting that "the opposition embraced the Andrews Sisters and their songs in the same way the Allied Forces adopted Lili Marlene. Their second effort featured the popular standard Nice Work If You Can Get It, but it was the flip side that turned out to be pure gold. [20] The Andrews Sisters formally broke up in 1953. Their first major hit was "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon", was very well liked by Nazi Germany, until the discovery that the songwriters were a Jewish race. 2023 BBC. She made the first of several attempts to launch a solo career with 1950's "I Wanna Be Loved" but her sisters sang backup, and the song was officially released as an Andrews Sisters recording. October 21, 1995, Boston, Massachusetts), and Patricia Marie (Patty) Andrews (b. February 16, 1918, Minneapolisd. They were remarkable. During World War II, the sisters were a staple of popular culture, recording with Glenn Miller and Bing Crosby, appearing in films with Abbott and Costello, and performing live around the country. They also recorded morale-boosting "Victory Discs" for distribution to Allied forces, one of which featured their signature hit, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. It was there they were discovered by Larry Rich, who offered them a job with his traveling revue. Meanwhile, Bette Midler revived "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" for a Top Ten hit in 1973, bringing two Andrews Sisters compilation albums (The Best of the Andrews Sisters on MCA and Boogie Woogie Bugle Girls on Paramount) into the charts. The Andrews Sisters were officially retired, and Patti went solo in 1954, signing with Capitol records. Some radio stations were reluctant to play the record because it mentioned a commercial product by name, and because the lyrics were subtly suggestive of local women prostituting themselves to U.S. servicemen serving at the then naval base on Trinidad. The influence of the Andrews Sisters looms large over the last half-century of music: Their catalog, some 1,800 songs, has been thoroughly mined by other artists. Read Full Biography, The Andrews Sisters were the most successful female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century in the U.S. One source lists 113 singles chart entries by the trio between 1938-1951, an average of more than eight per year. They recorded for Capitol Records (1956-1959) and Dot Records (1961-1967) without commercial impact. [31], Upon hearing the news of her sister's death, Patty became distraught. mattymath. Several days later, Patty's husband Wally fell down a flight of stairs and broke both wrists. The preeminent singing sister act of all time with well over 75 million records sold by which the swinging big-band era could not be better represented were the fabulous Andrews Sisters: the blonde melodic mezzo Patty Andrews, the brunette soprano Maxene Andrews and the red-headed contralto Laverne Andrews.With their precise harmonies and perfectly syncopated dance moves, the girls reached heights of worldwide fame still unattained by any group which followed. And just a few years ago, Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" gave a clear tip of the hat to the tune and its makers. The trio has said their name is a tribute to The Andrews Sisters. The sisters began performing in the early 1930's when the Depression wiped out their father's business. [68][69], The Andrews Sisters became the most popular female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century. Following Maxenes death in 1995, Patty continued to perform, sometimes as a featured vocalist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The Manhattan Dolls, a New York City-based touring group, performs both the popular tunes sung by the Andrews Sisters and some of the more obscure tunes such as "Well Alright" and "South American Way". Later in life, according to her adopted daughter, Maxene entered a thirteen-year relationship with her manager Lynda Wells and they later spent many years as life partners. Female vocal trio who were one of the most popular and influential acts of the Big Band era. The Andrews Sisters' harmonies and songs are still influential today, and have been copied and recorded by entertainers such as Patti Page, Bette Midler, Christina Aguilera, Pentatonix, and others. Video, 1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Whiskey fungus forces Jack Daniels to stop construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Greek trains halted as anger over crash grows, Robert F Kennedy assassin denied parole again, NFL hopeful accused of racing in deadly car crash, Starbucks illegally fired workers over union - judge. RYM artists in order they were added. While touring, they often treated three random servicemen to dinner when they were dining out. [41] "Her art was. As the BBC relates, LaVerne, the oldest, sang contralto; Maxene, soprano; and Patty youngest, though positioned in the middle during performances provided the mezzo-soprano. BLOCK: Well, we have a brief footnote to that news. The song was based on a Trinidadian calypso, and a dispute over its provenance led to a well-publicized court case. As her sister Maxene told NPR in 1993, Patty "opened up this piece of paper, and she looked at it, and then she started to cry. [38], LaVerne Andrews married Lou Rogers,[24] a trumpet player in Vic Schoen's band, in 1948. They made their film debut in Argentine Nights, a 1940 comedy that starred the Ritz Brothers, and the next year appeared in three films with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello:Buck Privates, In the Navyand Hold That Ghost. Their film credits also include Swingtime Johnny (1943), Hollywood Canteen (1944) and the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby comedy Road to Rio (1947). Childhood was, for the most part, lost to them. The Andrews sisters items and images on display were donated in 2010 by Maryland resident Robert Boyer, a fan who had amassed the largest known collection of memorabilia related to the group, including publicity photos, personal snapshots, news clippings, recordings, movie posters, correspondence, magazines and recordings in various formats. Their father, Peter Andreos/Andrews, was Greek. 13 1 Near You / How Lucky You Are. None of these achieved any major success. Weschler, her husband of nearly 60 years, had died on August 28, 2010, at the age of 88. Their million-sellers with Crosby included "Pistol Packin' Mama",[65] "Don't Fence Me In",[34] "South America, Take It Away", and "Jingle Bells". In 1972, Bette Midler introduced "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to a new generation of music fans with her own hit version. They hired Patty and lured Maxene back into show business as well. The Andrews Sisters also seem to have given little thought to the meaning of the lyrics. Maxene suffered a serious heart attack while performing in Illinois in 1982 and underwent quadruple bypass surgery, from which she successfully recovered. ", Paying tribute to Patty, singer Bette Midler said: "When I was a kid, I only had two records and one of them was the Andrews Sisters. LaVerne Andrews (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967) was the eldest Andrews sister and sang alto - the lowest range for women. Maxene denied it, and LaVerne maintained that Maxene . When Decca settled with the union in 1943, they embarked on a series of hits, many of them with Bing Crosby. They were getting ready to perform outside Naples, Italy, for troops headed to the Pacific when Patty was handed a piece of paper to read. Universal responded in like by signing them to some of their nonsensical "B" musicals derived purely for escapism as the U.S. prepared itself and became embroiled in WW2. Christina Aguilera used the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to inspire her song "Candyman" (released as a single in 2007) from her hit album Back to Basics. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Maxene died from a heart attack in 1995, andPatty passed on January 30, 2013. Both sisters maintained solo careers into the 1990s. They were inducted into the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame in May 2006. Updates? Maxene Andrews was on a vacation from her role in the off-Broadway musical Swingtime Canteen when she suffered another heart attack and died in the fall of 1995. [48], Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne appeared in 17 Hollywood films. [2] [citation needed], The Andrews Sisters were the most sought-after singers in theater shows worldwide during the 1940s and early 1950s, always topping previous house averages. opened on Broadway on March 6, 1974. [3] Writing for Bloomberg, Mark Schoifet said the sisters became the most popular female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century. LaVerne was considered the closest to her parents and often mediated family conflicts. They were born in Middletown, Ohio. Entertainers. Pablinchi. Omissions? With their precise harmonies and perfectly . Laverne started the trio of sisters and they appeared in kiddie revues on local radio stations and at the Orpheum in their hometown of Minneapolis. The Andrews Sisters (from left, Maxene, Patty and LaVerne) in the 1940s. The Andrews Sisters fame peaked during World War II. 14), Patty Andrews appeared in season two, episode six, of, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:28. The Andrews Sisters, with Patty singing soprano, sold tens of millions of records in the 1930s and '40s. [46][47], In 2008 and 2009, the BBC produced The Andrews Sisters: Queens of the Music Machines, a one-hour documentary on the history of the Andrews Sisters from their upbringing to the present. The Andrews Sisters re-entered the limelight in the early 1970s when Bette Midler released her own recording of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, modeled closely on theirs. Our mother died (in 1948) and then our father (in 1949). They played a crucial role in the war effort, performing for troops at USO shows around the world and entertaining radio listeners across the U.S. Patty Andrews, center, with her sisters Maxene, left and LaVerne, in the 1940s. DeYoung fulfilled concert appearances, including an appearance on The Dean Martin Show on November 30, 1967, but she did not record with Patty and Maxene. hide caption. My Rated Discographies . The Andrews Sisters - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (V-Disc 1941) Zemorg 17.8K subscribers Subscribe 9.4K 880K views 7 years ago A very youthful looking Andrews Sisters performing Boogie. Over Here! [45] The sisters were again featured in a Fallout game in 2015, when their songs "Pistol Packin' Mama" and "Civilization" were featured in the game Fallout 4. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Female vocal trio who were one of the most popular and influential acts of the Big Band era. The group's. Their first appearance co-starred the zany and sometimes corny antics of The Ritz Brothers in an unflattering ditty called Argentine Nights (1940). The American premier of the show was June 21, 2009, in their summer vacation enclave of Mound, Minnesota. Ms. Andrews is survived by her foster daughter, Pam DuBois. (which shot to number one on Billboard and remained in the Top 10 for 25 weeks), "I Wanna Be Loved", "There Will Never Be Another You", and "The Three Bells", which was an English version of the French 1946 rendition by dith Piaf & Les Compagnons de la chanson; along with several solo recordings with Patty, including a cover version of Nat King Cole's "Too Young", "It Never Entered My Mind", "If You Go", and "That's How A Love Song Is Born".