Today is the birthday of Patty Andrews (1918-2013) of the Sisters Andrews.
Of Greek origin (the real family name is Andreus) this sister act (which also featured older sisters Laverne and Maxene) was formed in 1925, with the three girls consciously emulating their favorite group The Boswell Sisters. Within five years they won a local talent competition at their local Minneapolis Orpheum vaudeville house (where Laverne also played piano during silent movies). They toured vaudeville and ballrooms with dance bands for the next several years until they got their first hit record Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, in 1937. Radio and film stardom followed and they were at the top of their game through their first break-up in 1951.
To find out more about the variety arts past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
(Travalanche) 