The Andrews Sisters

From their humble beginnings winning childhood talent contests in the early 1930s, Minnesota siblings LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty Andrews grew to become the very model for vocal groups thereafter. Boasting close harmonies and complementary ranges (contralto, soprano, and mezzo-soprano), they always sounded like they were on exactly the same page, musically and emotionally. The Andrews Sisters cemented their standing during World War II, traveling extensively to entertain Allied troops overseas while offering some recorded inspiration with the tongue-twisting 1941 earworm “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” They teamed up many times with Bing Crosby, both for the requisite Christmas numbers and finger-snapping swing smashes like “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” and slowed down their signature zippiness for the calypso standard “Rum and Coca-Cola.” Delivering unified vibes of plucky solidarity with a light spritz of comedy to create a quintessentially American export, their crowd-pleasing blend of aw-shucks coyness and brassy outbursts defined the era—and extended to plenty of movie cameos. Despite dramatic social changes in the postwar decades, the remaining sisters kept performing even after LaVerne’s death in 1967, and Bette Midler turned their bugle-based signature tune into a throwback pop hit in 1973.