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). "[13], The sisters' 1945 hit "Rum and Coca Cola" became one of their most popular and best-known recordings, but also inspired some controversy. The Andrews Sisters (from left, Maxene, Patty and LaVerne) in the 1940s. 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. Several days later, Patty's husband Wally fell down a flight of stairs and broke both wrists. Read about our approach to external linking. Patty Andrews returned to her solo career and in 1971 appeared in a musical revue called Victory Canteen in Los Angeles. 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. which ran for 10 months in 197475. by Bruce Eder. Maxene appealed to Patty for a reunion, personally if not professionally, both in public and in private, but to no avail. 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. Patty (1920), Maxene (1917), and LaVerne (1915) grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lucy played LaVerne, Kim (Lucie Arnaz) played Maxene, and Craig (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) played Bing Crosby. 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. The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. 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. Updates? Maxene's was kind of high, and I was between. They appeared in more than a dozen films during the next seven years sometimes just singing, sometimes also acting. Corrections? 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. I wish I had the ability and the power to bridge the gap between my relationship with my sister, Patty. 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." A failed radio performance in 1937 turned out to be the sisters big break. THE ANDREWS SISTERS were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters trio, died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, according to her management. 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). The trios many hits from these years included Hold Tight, Dont Sit Under the Apple Tree, Rum and Coca-Cola, Beer Barrel Polka, and Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive. Their recorded performances were heard in the sound tracks of numerous movies, including Radio Days (1987), Jakob the Liar (1999), The Polar Express (2004), and The Chronicles of Narnia (2005). [14] The sisters later told biographers that they were asked to record the tune on short notice and were unaware either of the copyright issue or of the implications of the lyrics. An earthquake shook the area that very morning and the ceremony was nearly cancelled, which caused Patty to joke, "Some people said that earthquake this morning was LaVerne because she couldn't be here, but really it was just Maxene and me on the telephone." Patty did not attend her sister's memorial services in New York City, nor in California. As Maxene blamed Patty's husband, Walter Weschler, as an instigator in separating her from Patty, the estrangement remained permanent until Maxene's death in 1995.The two sisters did reunite briefly when they earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987. The Andrews Sisters. The 2010 video game Mafia II features numerous Andrews Sisters songs, with "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Strip Polka" and "Rum and Coca-Cola". Her sisters were Lavern Sophie born July 6, 1911, died 1967 (cancer); Maxene Angelyn born Jan. 3, 1916, died October 1995 of a heart attack while on vacation at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. the Andrews Sisters, singing trio, one of the most popular American musical acts of the 1940s. No other female vocal group, and very few male ones, came close to their success from the late '30s to the early '50s, an era when first big bands and then solo singers dominated popular music. 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. Their last appearance together as a trio was on The Dean Martin Show on September 29, 1966. ecoute_00. In 1972, Bette Midler introduced "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to a new generation of music fans with her own hit version. [67], Edward Habib in the CD program notes for Songs That Won the War Vol. 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 song was based on a Trinidadian calypso, and a dispute over its provenance led to a well-publicized court case. Patty not only sang lead; she was clearly the star of the group. The Andrews Sisters were a popular harmonizing singing group consisting of three sisters, Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews and Laverne Andrews. They had no children. And she said, 'Boys, the note reads here the war with Japan is over.' In the post-war years, they appeared in Paramount's The World Turns Backward (1947) and teamed with Bing Crosby on "You Don't Have to Know the Language." 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. With their precise harmonies and perfectly . Minneapolis Tribune, October 9, 1938, pg 21. (1943), to war-time factory workers in Swingtime Johnny (1943). Soundtrack: Repo Man. 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). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). By the time she was six she was entertaining at veterans hospitals, for the Mayor of Minneapolis and at Daughters of American Revolution luncheons. 17), "Down in the Valley (Hear that Train Blow)" (1944) (No. Still, it did not stop concentration camp inmates from secretly singing it, this being most likely since the song was originally a Yiddish song "Bei Mir Bistu Shein", and had been popularized within the Jewish community before it was recorded as a more successful "cover" version by the Andrews sisters. 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). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The girls' musical talents were quickly identified and they started performing on the road as youngsters, entering assorted kiddie contests and often winning for their efforts. The critics' major complaint was that Patty's show concentrated too much on Andrews Sisters material, which did not allow Patty's own talents as an expressive and bluesy vocalist to shine through. Other hits followed, and in 1940 they were signed by Universal Pictures. She was 94. What's Cookin'?, Private Buckaroo, Give Out, Sisters (in which they disguise themselves as old women as part of the zany plot) and Moonlight and Cactus were among the team's popular full-length films. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. And in 1948, when they were ranked as the top recording artists of the year, the Andrews Sisters reached the Top Ten with "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)" (with Danny Kaye), "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)," "Underneath the Arches," and "You Call Everybody Darling.". They recorded for Capitol Records (1956-1959) and Dot Records (1961-1967) without commercial impact. 2. ", The trio became synonymous with the war effort. The group's career spanned more than five decades and resulted in 90 million records and 46 top 10 hits. Female vocal trio who were one of the most popular and influential acts of the Big Band era. 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. Their sound, so pure. This however did not sit well with Patty and a cease and desist order was sent to Skelton. [6], They started their career as imitators of an earlier successful singing group, the Boswell Sisters, who were popular in the 1930s. (Tonight's The Night) was a song recorded by the Andrews Sisters in 1939 arranged with Vic Schoen. LaVerne Andrews (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967) was the eldest Andrews sister and sang alto - the lowest range for women. 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. The Andrews Sisters sold more than 75 million records and entertained World War II troops in Africa and Europe. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [41] "Her art was. 1932 in Minneapolis, MN. The trio's last Top Ten hit was "Sparrow in the Tree Top," another pairing with Bing Crosby, in 1951. Its cast album charted, as did another Andrews Sisters compilation (In the Mood on Paramount). The two sisters remained estranged from then on, although they made occasional joint appearances and Patty visited the hospital when Maxene suffered a heart attack in 1982. Patty Andrews married agent Marty Melcher in 1947 but left him in 1949, when he pursued a romantic relationship with Doris Day. 1946 Andrews Sisters and Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. Then he dragged his legs towards the exit. Peter Andreas (later "Andrews") was Greek and his wife was of Norwegian ancestry raised in the Lutheran faith. Decca had recorded the Boswell Sisters successfully until they broke up in 1935, and the label was on the lookout for a similar group. [29], The two sisters did reunite, albeit briefly, on October 1, 1987, when they received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, even singing a few bars of "Beer Barrel Polka" for the Entertainment Tonight cameras. Patty and Maxene reclaimed some success when they starred in the Broadway musical Over Here! 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