The Andrews Sisters

The Andrews Sisters
From top: LaVerne, Patty, Maxene
Background information
Born	LaVerne: (1911-07-06)July 6, 1911 Maxene: (1916-01-03)January 3, 1916 Patty: (1918-02-16)February 16, 1918 Mound, Minnesota
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	LaVerne: May 8, 1967(1967-05-08) (aged 55), Los Angeles, California Maxene: October 21, 1995(1995-10-21) (aged 79), Cape Cod, Massachusetts Patty: January 30, 2013(2013-01-30) (aged 94), Los Angeles
Genres	Swing, boogie-woogie, traditional pop, easy listening, jazz
Years active	1925–1967
Website	www.cmgww.com/music/andrews

The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Angelyn (January 3, 1916 – October 21, 1995), and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" (February 16, 1918 – January 30, 2013). Throughout their long career, the sisters sold well over 75 million records (the last official count released by MCA Records in the mid-1970s). Their 1941 hit "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" can be considered an early example of rhythm and blues or jump blues.

The Andrews Sisters' harmonies and songs are still influential today, and have been covered by entertainers such as Bette Midler, Christina Aguilera, and others. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Writing for Bloomberg, Mark Schoifet said the sisters became the most popular female vocal group of the first half of the 20th century. They are still widely acclaimed today for their famous close harmonies.

The sisters were born to Peter Andreos (anglicized to "Andrews" upon arriving in the US) and Olga (née Sollie); their father was Greek and their mother Norwegian-American of the Lutheran faith. Patty, the youngest and the lead singer of the group, was only 7 when the group was formed, and only 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 free dancing lessons for herself and her sisters. Following the collapse of their father's Minneapolis restaurant, the sisters went on the road to support the family.