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. But it's possible that Patty's most fulfilling partnership was with Wally Wechsler, to whom she was married for more than 60 years. They hired Patty and lured Maxene back into show business as well. Cancer took LaVerne in 1967, and within a year Maxene was teaching college in the Lake Tahoe area. They got their start in the Depression-era early 1930s, and their first big hit, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", was recorded . The group's other Top Ten hits for 1945 were "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" and "Along the Navajo Trail," both with Crosby, and "The Blond Sailor." Stricken with cancer, LaVerne retired from the act in 1966 and died the following year. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews, soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews, and mezzo-soprano Patricia "Patty" Marie Andrews. Maxene died in 1995. Over 300 of their original Decca recordings, a good portion of which was hit material, has yet to be released by MCA/Decca. by Bruce Eder. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. All three of us were upset, and we were at each other's throats all the time." Then he dragged his legs towards the exit. Both sisters maintained solo careers into the 1990s. Omissions? Unfortunately, the close harmony on songs like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" didn't reflect their family dynamic. 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. In Private Buckaroo (1942), they put on a show for servicemen singing, among others, the huge hit "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else But Me". GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images The sisters were LaVerne Sofia Andrews (b. July 6, 1911, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.d. The Disney company also utilized the girls' voices in their cartoon features Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948).All three girls experienced down times in their personal lives as well during the late-1940s. We got on the carousel and we each got the ring and I was satisfied with that. 15), "That's the Moon, My Son" (1942) (No. Song was written by Franic Fay, Dan Howell and Don Raye. The sisters got into a bitter money dispute with the producers and with each other, leading to the shows closing in January 1975 and the cancellation of plans for a national tour. In a 1974 interview with The New York Times, Patty explained what that was like: When our fans used to see one of us, theyd always ask, Where are your sisters? Every time we got an award, it was just one award for the three of us. This could be irritating, she said with a touch of exasperation: Were not glued together.. Patty was only ten at the time. Maxene arrived on January 3, 1916, and Patty was born February 16, 1918. [12] They encouraged U.S. citizens to purchase war bonds with their rendition of Irving Berlin's song "Any Bonds Today?". All three of us were upset, and we were at each other's throats all the time. "The Andrews Sisters played an enormous part in that popularity." The Andrews Sisters were on tour in December 1941 when President Roosevelt announced that the U.S. was entering WWII. 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. They sang at church performances, and were discovered by an talent agent who heard them sing at a revival meeting in Dayton. The collection is remastered in superb sound with surprising presence and vivid detail, the material is priceless, and . The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group. Now sometimes appearing as "Patti" (but still signing autographs as "Patty"), she re-emerged in the late 1970s as a regular panelist on The Gong Show. Their singing was initially influenced by the Dixieland style of the Boswell Sisters of New Orleans, but they soon expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of current song types. The frizzy-bobbed trio were introduced as a sort of specialty act with the songs "Hit the Road," "Oh, He Loves Me" and "Rhumboogie." Maxine was only four when she first appeared on her first radio broadcast in Minneapolis. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 4 The Home Front" CD program notes by Edward Habib, Bei Mir Bist Du Schn (Means That You're Grand), Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me), Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!! Her singing was." Patty and Maxene reclaimed some success when they starred in the Broadway musical Over Here! 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. ), 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? In 1969, Patty appeared in Lucille Ball's third series Here's Lucy, in the sixth episode of the second season, titled "Lucy and the Andrews Sisters". The sisters have sold an estimated 80 million records. BLOCK: Well, we have a brief footnote to that news. They recorded a series of Victory Discs (V-Discs) for distribution to Allied fighting forces only, again volunteering their time for studio sessions for the Music Branch, Special Service Division, of the Army Service Forces, and they were dubbed the "Sweethearts of the Armed Forces Radio Service" for their many appearances on shows such as "Command Performance", "Mail Call", and "G.I. They never reconciled and were still estranged when Maxene Andrews died in 1995. They broke up in 1967 after the death of LaVerne, but their music is still played over certain radio . LaVerne Andrews (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967) was the eldest Andrews sister and sang alto - the lowest range for women. [4] They are still widely acclaimed today for their famous close harmonies. But, in a sense, they had no competition. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. They boasted an exuberant, close-harmony style well-suited to cheery novelty songs, and their intricate vocal . Patty died of natural causes at her home in Northridge, California, on January 30, 2013, at the age of 94. . The Westonka Historical Society has a large collection of Andrews Sisters memorabilia. 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. [19] The English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. The Andrews Sisters sold more than 75 million records and entertained World War II troops in Africa and Europe. 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. 18), "The Pussy Cat Song (Nyow! "I Wanna Be Loved," with the same sort of arrangement, also topped the charts in June. Like her older sisters, Patty learned to love music as a child (she also became a good tap dancer), and she did not have to be persuaded when Maxene suggested that the sisters form a trio in 1932. Ms. Andrews is survived by her foster daughter, Pam DuBois. She was 79. They appeared in more than a dozen films during the next seven years sometimes just singing, sometimes also acting. ", 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. Their million-sellers with Crosby included "Pistol Packin' Mama",[65] "Don't Fence Me In",[34] "South America, Take It Away", and "Jingle Bells". Patty Andrews, center, with her sisters Maxene, left and LaVerne, in the 1940s. After the Belasco band broke up that summer, they were signed to Decca Records on their own. 1947 +1. [1] The sisters have sold an estimated 80 million records. 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. She was 94. "There was no such thing as being married at that time," she said. Other top hits included "Don't Fence Me In", "Apple Blossom Time", "Rum and Coca Cola", and "I Can Dream, Can't I? Entertainers. October 21, 1995, Boston, Massachusetts), and Patricia Marie (Patty) Andrews (b. February 16, 1918, Minneapolisd. Their first picture, Argentine Nights, paired them with another enthusiastic trio, the Ritz Brothers. [citation needed] The imitation occurred internationally; the Harmony Sisters, a popular group that performed from the 1930s to the 1950s in Finland was one such singing group.[44]. ", US and Russia trade blows over Ukraine at G20, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, 1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat. Patty Andrews, the last of the Andrews Sisters, died at her home in Los Angeles in January 2013; she was 94 years old. It was also the last time they sang together. They quickly personified a new kind of swing and Big Band vocal performance: exceptional harmonic structures, soaring above their active, dynamic stage presence. [40] Levy was the sisters' manager from 1937 to 1951. 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. The Andrews Sisters (from left, Maxene, Patty and LaVerne) in the 1940s. In 2008, Mound dedicated "The Andrews Sisters Trail". Maxene denied it, and LaVerne maintained that Maxene . [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. 1.150. It was like God had given us voices to fit our parts. The song was based on a Trinidadian calypso, and a dispute over its provenance led to a well-publicized court case. 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. When Patti sued her sisters, demanding proper settlement of their mother's estate, Maxene made the headlines on December 21, 1954, with a suspected suicide attempt because of the conflict. The Andrews Sisters' Decca recording reached number six on the U.S. pop singles chart in the spring of 1941 when the film was in release. The sisters specialised in swing and played with some of the top band leaders of the era, including Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. The Andrews Sisters were by far the most successful female group of the pre-rock era. 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. 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. Bands with femenine names. 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. 3.11. Highest chart positions on Billboard; They were from Minneapolis, Minnesota.Their names were LaVerne (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967), Maxene (January 3, 1916 - October 21, 1995) and Patty Andrews (February 16, 1918 - January 30, 2013). 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. 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. The two remained together until LaVerne's death from liver cancer on May 8, 1967, at the age of 55. In the audio of this story, as in a previous Web version, we identify "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" as a Yiddish folk tune. In 2007, their version of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schn" was included in the game BioShock, a first-person shooter that takes place in an alternate history 1960, and later in 2008, their song "Civilization" (with Danny Kaye) was included in the Atomic Age-inspired video game Fallout 3. The Andrews Sisters also seem to have given little thought to the meaning of the lyrics. The Sollie family disapproved of Olga's marriage, but the relationship was repaired once their first child, LaVerne, was born July 6, 1911. They toured extensively during the 1960s, favoring top nightclubs in Las Vegas, California, and London, England.[23]. Laverne died of cancer at age 55 in 1967; Maxene of a heart attack at age 79 in 1995; Patty from natural causes at age 94 in 2013. In 1987, the group was honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for their recording work. [16] In the 1950s, Patty Andrews decided to break away from the act to be a soloist. Before the end of the year, they and Crosby had gone to number one with the double-sided hit "(There'll Be A) Hot Time in the Town of Berlin (When the Yanks Go Marching In)" and "Is You Is or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)," as well as Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In. They also helped actress Bette Davis and actor John Garfield found California's famous Hollywood Canteen, a welcome retreat for servicemen where the trio often performed, volunteering their personal time to sing and dance for the soldiers, sailors, and Marines (they did the same at New York City's Stage Door Canteen during the war). [citation needed], Buck Privates, with Abbott and Costello, featured the Andrews Sisters' best-known song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. 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). Sisters Maxene, left and LaVerne, but their music is still played over certain radio Sofia Andrews ( July! 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