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Patty Andrews obituary Patty Andrews obituary
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Patty Andrews, who has died aged 94, was the lead singer and soloist with the Andrews Sisters, the most successful sibling trio in show-business history. Patty and her older sisters, LaVerne and Maxene, sang on the radio, on records, accompanied the greatest popular singers of the age, and were familiar faces as well as voices to almost everyone who ever went to see a musical film. Originally thought of as simply an accompanying group, before long the swinging trio were stars themselves, spawning a series of other sister acts – not all of whom were genuine siblings. Patty Andrews, who has died aged 94, was the lead singer and soloist with the Andrews Sisters. The swinging American trio, comprising Patty and her older siblings, LaVerne and Maxene, achieved their greatest success in the 1940s, contributing to the war effort with catchy songs including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) and, with Bing Crosby, Don't Fence Me In.
Patricia Andrews was the third daughter of a Greek immigrant, Peter Andrews, and his Norwegian wife, Olga. She was born and raised around Minneapolis, Minnesota. From the moment she started singing with LaVerne and Maxene, the siblings were a success. They began in Vaudeville in the early 1930s and were inspired by the success of the Boswell Sisters. They toured America with the Larry Rich band and before long were starring at the Hotel Edison in New York with Leon Belasco. The Andrews Sisters performed at military bases and raised money for war bonds; their hits were sung by the troops and by women working at factory benches. Patty, LaVerne and Maxene accompanied the most popular singers and big bands of the day; enjoyed success not just on radio but also in musical comedy films; and spawned a host of other sister acts – not all of whom were genuine siblings.
The family relocated to New York in 1937 and the sisters were offered a recording contract by Decca. Since they were an unknown group, it was one of the smallest contracts the label had ever had on its books. Things took a momentous turn when the songwriter Sammy Cahn was trying to "plug" one of his own products – a revamped version of an old Yiddish standard called Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen. They saw the song on a piano in the studio and asked Decca's boss Harry Kapp to be allowed to record it. Kapp didn't want to know. "What a race record!" Cahn was to remember his saying. "Never. Not on this label." Patricia Marie Andrews was born in Mound, Minnesota, the third daughter of a Greek immigrant, Peter (who had anglicised his surname), and his Norwegian wife, Olga. The parents ran a restaurant. Inspired by the success of the Boswell Sisters, the pretty, blonde Patty and her siblings began in vaudeville in the early 1930s. "There were just three girls in the family," she recalled. "LaVerne had a very low voice. Maxene's was kind of high, and I was between. It was like God had given us voices to fit our parts." The sisters toured America with the Larry Rich band and before long were starring at the Hotel Edison in New York with Leon Belasco.
But Kapp then heard them sing the tune and realised that three Norwegian-Greek-American girls singing a song in Yiddish – with a great deal of added English – did, after all, have something. Their version of the number was an instant bestseller in 1937. It not only established Cahn and his partner Saul Chaplin as ace songwriters, it made the Andrews Sisters the hottest name in the record business. The Andrews family relocated to New York in 1937 and the sisters were offered a recording contract by Decca. Things took a momentous turn when they recorded Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin's revamped version of an old Yiddish standard. It reached No 1 in the US in 1938, establishing Cahn and Chaplin as ace songwriters and making the Andrews Sisters the hottest name in the record business. The song has now come to be emblematic of the age – often used when a film or TV drama deals with the era of jitterbugs and evacuation, to say nothing of Land Girls, who sang it as they stacked the hay.
Strangely for an "ethnic" record it has now come to be emblematic of the age, the disc played whenever a film or a TV play deals with the era of jitterbug and evacuation – to say nothing of Land Girls who sang it as they stacked the hay. Two more huge hits followed – The Beer Barrel Polka and Hold Tight, Hold Tight (both 1939). Further hits followed for the trio – including Beer Barrel Polka and Hold Tight, Hold Tight (both 1939) – and in 1940 they were signed by Universal Pictures and appeared in the film Argentine Nights with the Ritz Brothers. They then made two wartime comedies starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Buck Privates and In the Navy (both 1941), and also appeared in Private Buckaroo (1942), which followed new recruits doing their basic training and included the sisters' patriotic We've Got a Job to Do.
In 1940 they were signed by Universal Pictures and appeared in the film Argentine Nights with the Ritz Brothers. In the 1941 film Buck Privates, with Abbott and Costello, they scored their really big contribution to the war effort. It featured another of their big hits, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Soon it and other songs like Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (1942) and Don't Fence Me In (1944) were sung by women working at wartime factory benches, as well as by the men themselves in their camps. The sisters starred in further Abbott and Costello comedies and in Hollywood Canteen (1944), in which they appeared as themselves in a movie about the ever-open cafe operated by the stars for American servicemen. The sisters appeared as themselves in the all-star film Hollywood Canteen (1944), about the ever-open cafe for American servicemen, founded by Bette Davis and John Garfield, and where Hollywood celebrities volunteered during the war. The sisters' voices were also featured in the Disney cartoon Make Mine Music in 1946.
Cole Porter's Don't Fence Me In had them accompanying Bing Crosby. It was the start of a relationship that went on for decades. Pistol-Packing Mama (1943) was one of their huge joint hits. Others included Jingle Bells (1943), Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (1944) and Accentuate the Positive (1945). After hitting it big with the uptempo Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar and the sentimental ballad (I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time, the sisters accompanied Crosby on a No 1 hit, Don't Fence Me In, in 1944. It was one of several successful collaborations with the crooner, including Pistol Packin' Mama, Jingle Bells, Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby) and Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive. The sisters also appeared with him in the Bob Hope vehicle Road to Rio (1947). Danny Kaye partnered them on, among others, The Woody Woodpecker; and with Carmen Miranda, the trio sang Cuanto Le Gusta. By themselves, the sisters had No 1s with I Can Dream, Can't I? and I Wanna Be Loved.
Other artists were also happy to share their record labels with the sisters. Danny Kaye partnered them on It's a Quiet Town (1947) and The Woody Woodpecker Song (1948). With Carmen Miranda they sang Cuanto Le Gusta (also 1948). On their own they hit it big with Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar (1940) and the sentimental ballad I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time (1941). Their voices were also featured in the Disney cartoon Make Mine Music in 1946. In many ways Patty was the most successful member of the group. Certainly, her solos made her the most prominent sister. In the mid-1950s she broke away from the group, but people still wanted more of the Andrews Sisters and they were soon all back together.
In many ways Patty was the most successful member of the group. Certainly, her solos made her the most visible sister. There were those who thought that that role went a little too much to her head, for in 1953 she temporarily broke away from the group. But people still wanted more of the Andrews Sisters and before long they were all back together. It was the death of LaVerne in 1967 that eventually broke up the group. In the early 70s Bette Midler had success with her recording of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and people once more went looking for the original, which had a renewed success.
The group finally broke up with the death of LaVerne in 1967. In the early 70s Bette Midler had success with her own recording of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and people once more went looking for the original, which had a renewed moderate success. In 1974 Maxene and Patty were back in business, starring in a Broadway musical about what was undoubtedly their most successful period – the war years – called Over Here, and featuring a third "borrowed sister". The show ran for more than a year. Patty, who also had solo success in Las Vegas, continued to work after Maxene's death in 1995. In 1974 Maxene and Patty were back in business, starring in a Broadway musical, Over Here!, about the group's wartime success. The show featured a third "borrowed" sister and ran for almost a year, closing after the sisters had an argument. Patty, who had solo success in Las Vegas and performed on cruise ships, continued to work after Maxene's death in 1995.
From 1947 to 1949 Patty was married to the agent Martin Melcher. After their divorce he married Doris Day and Patti married Walter Weschler, the Andrews Sisters' pianist, who also became their manager. Weschler died in 2010. In 1947 Patty married Martin Melcher. They divorced in 1950. Melcher then married Doris Day and, in 1951, Patty married Walter Weschler, the Andrews Sisters' pianist, who also became their manager. Weschler died in 2010.
Patty is survived by her foster daughter, Pam. She is survived by her foster daughter, Pam.
• Patricia Marie Andrews, singer, born 16 February 1920; died 30 January 2013 • Patricia Marie Andrews, singer, born 16 February 1920; died 30 January 2013