The fans of swing music love the way vocalists used to put emphasis on the weaker pulse in the music strain to create the ‘swing feel’. Several soloists of well-known bands gained reputation by improvising on the melody and not depending on the arrangement alone. The golden era of swing music in USA (the 1930s and 1940s) saw the rise of many artists. However, if we talk about the female swing music artists, then none can match the meteoric rise and commercial success of the Andrew sisters. The three Andrew sisters were born in Mound, MN, USA. Their father was a Greek immigrant and their mother was a Norwegian immigrant who owned a restaurant in Minneapolis.
The three sisters; LaVerne Andrews (born on 6 July 1911), Maxene Andrews (3 January 1916) and Patty Andrews (16 February 1918) perfectly complemented each other’s singing style. Laverne Andrews, who was the eldest sister with a great sense of humor used the latter to some great effect in her songs. The middle sister Maxene Andrews had a strong voice and the youngest Patty was loud and energetic. These three diverse combinations of voice and their attractive personalities propelled them to stardom.
The love for music started quite early for the Andrew sisters. At home, they used to mimic the famous singers of that time and slowly developed their own style, which helped them later to get huge acclaim. They started their professional career when they joined the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis in 1932. In 1933, the three sisters joined a Vaudeville troupe and traveled in the Midwest giving live performances. As they received greater commercial success, they toured the country with bands from 1934-1937. In 1937, they made their first professional appearance at the New York music circuit, when they made their first recording with the famous Leon Belasco band. Later they signed with Dacca and got their first massive hit, ‘Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.’ This song gave the Andrew sisters commercial fame, which helped them to get scores of radio and personal appearance work. Their next hit ‘Hold Tight, Hold Tight,’ proved that their earlier hit was not a flash in the pan and established their reputation. In the 1940s, their popularity chart grew exponentially and their group was the most profitable stage performers in the USA. Apart from their stage career, the sister became very popular radio artists. They hosted many popular swing music radio shows. Furthermore, the Andrew sisters also appeared in 17 Hollywood movies. They released 8 singles, of which six received great commercial success. Some of their greatest hits include songs like ‘I’ll be with you in Apple Blossom Time,’ ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,’ and ‘Rum and Coca Cola’.
The Andrew sisters also used their huge popularity to boost the wartime effort of the USA in World War 2. They volunteered to entertain the enlisted and the wounded men by singing and dancing for them to raise their morale. On one such occasion, the three sisters went on an eight week USO tour, wherein they entertained thousands of servicemen. The Andrew sisters continued their winning streak and released the critically acclaimed ballad. ‘I can dream, can’t I?’. This song received unprecedented commercial success, wherein it remained in the top 10 for 20 consecutive weeks.
At the start of the 1950s, the group started facing trouble. The first problem arose when Vic Schoen, their brand leader who was a part of more than 90 percent of their recording, left the group due to creative differences. In 1954, the youngest sister, Patty Andrew left the group to start her solo career. The sisters tried to rekindle their magic when they came together in 1956 and experimented with light rock and roll music. However, they faced a tough challenge from the new rising stars of this music genre, namely, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.
The Andrew sister’s music group received a body blow when the eldest sister, LaVerne was diagnosed with cancer in 1967. She died a year later when she was just 55 years old. The two remaining sisters dissolved their musical group after the death of their eldest sister and focused on their solo careers. The two sisters again came together for a musical called the ‘over here.’ This program was about WW2 Homefront and had 341 successful performances. The sister continued with their solo career until their demise. Maxene died in 1995 and Patty Andrew died in 2013. The Andrew sisters sang more than 700 songs and earned nine gold records and they sold a total of 90 million records. Considering their commercial success and popularity, the Andrew sisters are considered as one of the greatest groups of all time.
Conclusion: If you are a huge fan of the Andrew Sisters’ songs and want to listen to them, then connect with the big band music station in USA. We have a huge collection of songs of these singing legends. If you want to listen to any hit music of the Andrew sisters, then you should call us at (650) 479-4641 or mail your request to requests@swingstreetradio.org.
