Who were the Andrews Sisters?

The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful American singing trio, achieving peak fame in the 1940s. The sisters were LaVerne Sofia Andrews, Maxene Angelyn Andrews, and Patricia Marie ("Patty") Andrews. As teenagers, they started in vaudeville, influenced by the Boswell Sisters. Patty, the lead soprano, sang with Maxene and LaVerne, who sang second soprano and the lowest line, respectively. Their popularity soared during World War II, entertaining troops overseas with the USO and starring in films. Some of their hits include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," and "Rum and Coca-Cola." Offstage, the sisters had well-publicized feuds. After LaVerne's death, Patty and Maxene briefly continued with singer Joyce DeYoung. Both sisters later found success in the Broadway musical Over Here!

In which decades were the Andrews Sisters most popular?

The Andrews Sisters , one of the most popular American musical acts, gained prominence in the 1930s and reached their peak popularity during the 1940s. They were especially popular during World War II, becoming favorites of American troops overseas and appearing in films. Although their fame declined in the postwar years, their act remained popular into the 1960s. After a brief reunion on Broadway in the mid-1970s, the sisters disbanded, but Patty continued to perform as a solo artist into the 1990s.

What are some of the Andrews Sisters' most famous songs?

The Andrews Sisters were a very popular American singing group from the 1940s. The trio consisted of sisters LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty Andrews. Patty, the soprano, sang lead, Maxene sang second soprano, and LaVerne sang the lowest line. Some of their most famous songs include "Bei mir bist du schon," their first million-selling record, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Hold Tight," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," "Rum and Coca-Cola," "Beer Barrel Polka," and "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive". During World War II, they were nicknamed “America’s Wartime Sweethearts”.

How did the Andrews Sisters contribute to World War II music and morale?

The Andrews Sisters, known as "America's Wartime Sweethearts," significantly boosted morale during World War II. As a singing trio, their swing tunes and close harmonies resonated with American troops overseas, for whom they performed in USO shows. They also appeared in films such as Buck Privates , In the Navy , and Hold That Ghost with Abbott and Costello, and starred in their own musical comedies, including Private Buckaroo and What’s Cookin’ . Their hits from this period included "Hold Tight," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which exemplified how they adapted their vocal lines to mimic the sound of a horn chart.

What is the legacy of the Andrews Sisters in American music history?

The Andrews Sisters left a significant legacy in American music history as one of the most popular singing groups of the 1940s. Known as "America's Wartime Sweethearts," their close-harmony renditions of swing tunes resonated deeply with American troops overseas, for whom they performed extensively in USO shows. Beyond their wartime contributions, the Andrews Sisters sold millions of records and appeared in numerous films and radio programs. Their versatility spanned genres, incorporating boogie-woogie , swing, and calypso into their diverse repertoire. Hits such as "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" became iconic, and their influence extended into the late 20th century, with Bette Midler reviving their music and Patty and Maxene starring in the Broadway show Over Here! .

the Andrews Sisters

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Poster for the film Swingtime Johnny (1943), which features the Andrews Sisters (left to right across the top): Maxene, Patty, and LaVerne. The actress and singer Harriet Hilliard (later Harriet Nelson) is pictured on the lower left.

Black-and-white 1947 publicity photo of The Andrews Sisters. From left: Maxine Andrews, Patty Andrews, and LaVerne Andrews, smiling and posed closely together.

Quick Facts

Date:: 1935 - 1948

Related People:: LaVerne Andrews; Patty Andrews

See all related content

the Andrews Sisters

American singing group

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

Who were the Andrews Sisters?
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful American singing trio, achieving peak fame in the 1940s. The sisters were LaVerne Sofia Andrews, Maxene Angelyn Andrews, and Patricia Marie ("Patty") Andrews.

As teenagers, they started in vaudeville, influenced by the Boswell Sisters. Patty, the lead soprano, sang with Maxene and LaVerne, who sang second soprano and the lowest line, respectively. Their popularity soared during World War II, entertaining troops overseas with the USO and starring in films.

Some of their hits include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," and "Rum and Coca-Cola." Offstage, the sisters had well-publicized feuds. After LaVerne's death, Patty and Maxene briefly continued with singer Joyce DeYoung. Both sisters later found success in the Broadway musical Over Here!
2 Britannica Sources
1. Patty Andrews
2. the Andrews Sisters
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What type of music did the Andrews Sisters perform?
The Andrews Sisters, a popular American singing group of the 1940s, performed a variety of musical styles, achieving widespread appeal through live performances, recordings and films. Their early singing style was influenced by the Dixieland style of the Boswell Sisters, but they expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of current song types.

The sisters were known for the diversity of their songs, which incorporated a wide range of styles—from boogie-woogie and swing to calypso—and cultural backgrounds. Their hit songs included "Hold Tight," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," "Rum and Coca-Cola," "Beer Barrel Polka," and "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive".
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
In which decades were the Andrews Sisters most popular?
The Andrews Sisters, one of the most popular American musical acts, gained prominence in the 1930s and reached their peak popularity during the 1940s. They were especially popular during World War II, becoming favorites of American troops overseas and appearing in films. Although their fame declined in the postwar years, their act remained popular into the 1960s. After a brief reunion on Broadway in the mid-1970s, the sisters disbanded, but Patty continued to perform as a solo artist into the 1990s.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Patty Andrews
2. the Andrews Sisters
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some of the Andrews Sisters' most famous songs?
The Andrews Sisters were a very popular American singing group from the 1940s. The trio consisted of sisters LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty Andrews. Patty, the soprano, sang lead, Maxene sang second soprano, and LaVerne sang the lowest line.

Some of their most famous songs include "Bei mir bist du schon," their first million-selling record, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Hold Tight," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," "Rum and Coca-Cola," "Beer Barrel Polka," and "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive". During World War II, they were nicknamed “America’s Wartime Sweethearts”.
1 Britannica Source
1. the Andrews Sisters
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did the Andrews Sisters contribute to World War II music and morale?
The Andrews Sisters, known as "America's Wartime Sweethearts," significantly boosted morale during World War II. As a singing trio, their swing tunes and close harmonies resonated with American troops overseas, for whom they performed in USO shows. They also appeared in films such as Buck Privates, In the Navy, and Hold That Ghost with Abbott and Costello, and starred in their own musical comedies, including Private Buckaroo and What’s Cookin’. Their hits from this period included "Hold Tight," "Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree," and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which exemplified how they adapted their vocal lines to mimic the sound of a horn chart.
1 Britannica Source
1. the Andrews Sisters
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the legacy of the Andrews Sisters in American music history?
The Andrews Sisters left a significant legacy in American music history as one of the most popular singing groups of the 1940s. Known as "America's Wartime Sweethearts," their close-harmony renditions of swing tunes resonated deeply with American troops overseas, for whom they performed extensively in USO shows.

Beyond their wartime contributions, the Andrews Sisters sold millions of records and appeared in numerous films and radio programs. Their versatility spanned genres, incorporating boogie-woogie, swing, and calypso into their diverse repertoire. Hits such as "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" became iconic, and their influence extended into the late 20th century, with Bette Midler reviving their music and Patty and Maxene starring in the Broadway show Over Here!.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Patty Andrews
2. the Andrews Sisters
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

the Andrews Sisters, singing trio, one of the most popular American musical acts of the 1940s. The group’s renditions of swing tunes in close harmony sold millions of copies; the act was also hugely popular in live performance and in film. The sisters were LaVerne Sofia Andrews (b. July 6, 1911, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.—d. May 8, 1967, Brentwood, California), Maxene Angelyn Andrews (b. January 3, 1916, Minneapolis—d. October 21, 1995, Boston, Massachusetts), and Patricia Marie (“Patty”) Andrews (b. February 16, 1918, Minneapolis—d. January 30, 2013, Los Angeles, California).

As teenagers, the Andrews Sisters formed a singing act and began performing in vaudeville reviews throughout the Midwest. Their singing was initially influenced by the Dixieland style of the Boswell Sisters of New Orleans, but they soon expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of current song types. Patty Andrews, a soprano, was lead singer for the trio, Maxene sang second soprano, and LaVerne took the lowest line.

The group sang with various bands and for several radio broadcasts while they were struggling during the mid-1930s to establish their reputation. A failed radio performance in 1937 turned out to be the sisters’ big break. Although they were fired soon after their first night on the program Saturday Night Swing Club, they were signed to a recording contract by a Decca Records executive who had heard the broadcast. During their first weeks with the label, the sisters made the rather idiosyncratic choice to record a jazz-influenced rendition of the Yiddish song “Bei mir bist du schon.” The recording was released after Christmas 1937; by New Year’s Eve it had become the most popular song on New York radio stations, and it went on to become the first million-selling record by a female singing group.

The sisters’ bold, brassy vocal style initially caused them to fail several auditions. But the women were determined to convey the effect of three trumpets. As Maxene Andrews recalled,

You get with an orchestra, and you listen to three great trumpets playing…so we knew that this is the way you wanted to blend.

Critic William Ruhlmann observed that the Andrews’ 1941 hit “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” was

a perfect example of the way in which the Andrews Sisters adapted their vocal lines to the sound of a horn chart.

The Andrews Sisters’ fame peaked during World War II. Nicknamed “America’s Wartime Sweethearts,” they became great favourites of American troops overseas, performing in USO (United Service Organizations) shows. They also appeared in a number of films, supporting Abbott and Costello in Buck Privates, In the Navy, and Hold That Ghost (all 1941), and appearing in their own series of musical comedies, which included Private Buckaroo (1942), What’s Cookin’? (1942), and Swingtime Johnny (1943). The trio’s many hits from these years included “Hold Tight,” “Don’t 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).

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

Offstage, the sisters’ well-publicized feuds kept them in the gossip pages. As Patty Andrews said in 1985, “The Andrews Sisters really had only one big fight. It started in 1937 and it’s still going.” Though their fame declined in the postwar years, their act remained popular into the 1960s. Stricken with cancer, LaVerne retired from the act in 1966 and died the following year. Patty and Maxene continued for a while, with singer Joyce DeYoung rounding out their trio. Patty and Maxene reclaimed some success when they starred in the Broadway musical Over Here! which ran for 10 months in 1974–75. Following Maxene’s death in 1995, Patty continued to perform, sometimes as a featured vocalist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. It was an appropriate coda to her career, as the Andrews Sisters and the Miller orchestra had embodied America’s musical tastes during the World War II years.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.

the Andrews Sisters

Thank you for signing up!