The Andrews Sisters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Andrews Sisters
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Maxene (top left), LaVerne (top right), and Patty (center) in October 1943
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1925–1967 |
| Associated acts | |
| Past members | LaVerne Andrews Maxene Andrews Patty Andrews |
The Andrews Sisters were a super popular American singing group. They were famous for their close harmony style during the swing and boogie-woogie music times. The group had three sisters: LaVerne Sophia Andrews (who sang low notes), Maxene Anglyn Andrews (who sang high notes), and Patricia Marie Andrews (who sang middle notes).
They sold around 80 million records, which is a huge number! Their song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" from 1941 was an early example of jump blues music. Other famous songs by them include "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" (1937), "Beer Barrel Polka" (1939), and "Rum and Coca-Cola" (1945). This last song even helped introduce calypso to American listeners.
The Andrews Sisters' music is still important today. Many artists like Patti Page and Christina Aguilera have been inspired by them. The group was one of the first to be put into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. They are remembered for their amazing close harmonies. In 2006, they were also added to the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
The Andrews Sisters were born to Olga and Peter Andreas. Their dad was Greek, and their mom was from Norway. LaVerne was born in 1911, Maxene in 1916, and Patty in 1918.
Patty, who sang the main parts, was only 7 when the group started. When she was 12, they won a talent show in Minneapolis. LaVerne played the piano for silent movies to help them get dance lessons. After their dad's restaurant closed, the sisters started traveling to perform and help their family.
Their Amazing Career
The sisters began by copying another group called the Boswell Sisters. They sang with different dance bands and performed in vaudeville shows. They became famous in 1937 with their song "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön". This song was originally a Yiddish tune, and they sang it perfectly. Soon, they had many hit songs and were known everywhere by the 1940s.
Their parents, their music leader Vic Schoen, and the founders of Decca Records, Jack and David Kapp, all helped them become successful.
The World War II Years
Just before and during World War II, the Andrews Sisters were super popular. Many people connect them with the war years. They had many hit songs during this time, some with war themes like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else but Me)". They even sang their songs in movies like Buck Privates.
During the war, they traveled a lot to entertain soldiers in Africa, Italy, and the U.S. They visited military bases, hospitals, and factories. They also encouraged Americans to buy war bonds to help the war effort. They helped create the Hollywood Canteen and Stage Door Canteen, places where soldiers could relax and enjoy performances. The sisters often volunteered their time to sing and dance for the servicemen there.
They also recorded special songs called "V-Discs" just for the soldiers. Because of their many radio appearances, they were called the "Sweethearts of the Armed Forces Radio Service".
A Short Break and Comeback
In the 1950s, Patty Andrews decided to try singing on her own. She married the group's piano player, Walter Weschler, who became their manager. This caused a difficult time for the sisters, and they stopped performing together in 1953.
Maxene and LaVerne tried to sing as a duo, but Maxene had health issues. The sisters did appear on The Red Skelton Show in 1954.
The trio got back together in 1956. They signed a new record deal, but by then, rock-and-roll music was becoming popular. They recorded new albums and toured in the 1960s, performing in places like Las Vegas and London.
Sadly, LaVerne, the oldest sister, passed away in 1967 from cancer. She was 55. LaVerne had been the one who kept peace among the sisters. After her death, Maxene and Patty continued to perform for a short time.
In 1973, their song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" became popular again when Bette Midler covered it. The next year, Maxene and Patty starred in a World War II musical on Broadway called Over Here!. This show helped start the careers of actors like John Travolta. This was their last big tour together.
The sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987. They even sang a bit of "Beer Barrel Polka" for the cameras. Maxene passed away in 1995 at age 79. Patty was the last surviving sister and passed away in 2013 at age 94.
Musical Style and Influence
The Andrews Sisters were loved by teenagers and young adults who enjoyed swing and jazz. They performed with many famous big bands like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman.
They were known for their fast and fun vocal style. But they also sang many other types of music, including jazz, ballads, folk, and country. They even made a gospel album. This allowed them to sing with many different artists like Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Carmen Miranda. They were the first artists on Decca Records to record a gospel album in 1950.
They were one of the most successful groups in music history. They recorded 47 songs with Bing Crosby, and 23 of those became hits!
Their Amazing Records
The Andrews Sisters were the most popular female singing group of the first half of the 20th century. Here are some of their achievements:
- They sold between 75 and 100 million records.
- They had 113 songs on the Billboard charts, with 46 reaching the Top 10. This is more than Elvis Presley or The Beatles!
- They appeared in 17 Hollywood films, more than any other singing group.
- They performed in theaters and clubs all over America and Europe.
- They were on countless radio shows from 1935 to 1960, including their own.
- They were guests on every major television show in the 1950s and 1960s.
Film and Television Appearances
The Andrews Sisters appeared in 17 Hollywood movies. Their first film was Argentine Nights in 1940. In this movie and their next, Buck Privates, they even danced like the Ritz Brothers, who were also in the film.
Buck Privates, starring Abbott and Costello, featured their most famous song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." This song was even nominated for an Oscar in 1941.
They also sang in two Walt Disney animated movies: Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948).
Filmography
- Argentine Nights (Universal Pictures, 1940)
- Buck Privates (Universal Pictures, 1941)
- In the Navy (Universal Pictures, 1941)
- Hold That Ghost (Universal Pictures, 1941)
- What's Cookin'? (Universal Pictures, 1942)
- Private Buckaroo (Universal Pictures, 1942)
- Give Out, Sisters (Universal Pictures, 1942)
- How's About It (Universal Pictures, 1943)
- Always a Bridesmaid (Universal Pictures, 1943)
- Swingtime Johnny (Universal Pictures, 1944)
- Moonlight and Cactus (Universal Pictures, 1944)
- Follow the Boys (Universal Pictures, 1944)
- Hollywood Canteen (Warner Brothers, 1944)
- Her Lucky Night (Universal Pictures, 1945)
- Make Mine Music (Walt Disney Studios, 1946) – voices only
- Road to Rio (Paramount Pictures, 1947)
- Melody Time (Walt Disney Studios, 1948) – voices only
Soundtracks
Their songs have been used in many movies and video games:
- Breach (2007)
- Land of the Lost (2009)
- Fallout 3 (2008) (song: "Civilization")
- Fallout 4 (2015) (songs: "Civilization", "Pistol Packin' Mama")
- Mafia II (2010) (songs: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Rum and Coca-Cola", "Strip Polka")
- Bioshock (2006)
- Fallout 76 (2018)
- L.A. Noire (2011) (song: "Pistol Packin' Mama")
Broadway
- Over Here! (1974; Shubert Theater, New York City)
Television
- They were made fun of in Sesame Street as the Androoze Sisters.
- Patty Andrews appeared in an episode of Here's Lucy where Lucy, her daughter Kim, and son Craig helped Patty recreate the Andrews Sisters for a fan club reunion.
Legacy and Influence Today
The Andrews Sisters were copied by many other singing groups. They influenced artists like Mel Tormé, the Supremes, the Beach Boys, and Bette Midler. Even groups from other countries, like the Harmony Sisters in Finland, copied their style.
Most of their music has been brought back and released on compact discs. Their songs have been used in many TV shows and movies, including ER, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and L.A. Confidential.
In 2007, their song "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" was in the video game BioShock. In 2008, their song "Civilization" was in Fallout 3.
Christina Aguilera used "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" to inspire her song "Candyman" in 2007. The Puppini Sisters, a group from London, also use the Andrews Sisters' harmony style.
In 2008 and 2009, the BBC made a documentary about the Andrews Sisters. There's even "The Andrews Sisters Trail" in Mound, Minnesota, where the sisters spent their summers.
Images for kids
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The Andrews Sisters performing with Bing Crosby on October 30, 1943
