The Boswell Sisters

Biography

A radio group known for their jazz and popular music interpretations who developed world-wide fame, the Boswell Sisters were comprised of Martha Boswell (1905-1958), Connee Boswell (1907-1976) and Vet Boswell (1911-1988) (aka Helvetia). Their swinging delivery featured majorly close harmonies and vocal acrobatics seldom paralleled. They grew up in New Orleans where they took in the unique gospel, jazz and blues sounds of their area, notably African-American music, which came from the streets and the speakeasies of the area. The trio's harmonic blend was perfectly suited to radio and their careers took off after a local radio station offered them a daily singing program. The Sisters actually began their careers as instrumental musicians. Martha was the pianist of the group; Vet played the banjo, guitar and violin; Connee was proficient on the saxophone, cello and guitar. Their jazz harmonic vocals, littered with unique scatting and numerous tempo experimentations and key changes, quickly made them popular in New Orleans and then beyond (New York, Chicago, etc.). They recorded frequently during the late twenties via Victor Records (from 1925) but didn't light a fire until 1930, when they recorded four songs for the Okeh label They later signed with Brunswick and, between 1930 and 1936, were THE most popular singing group nationwide. A childhood illness left Connee unable to walk (another story tells it that the child was paralyzed from the waist down after an accident) and, typical for the their time, great care was taken to keep this a secret. Connee, would always be seated on a stool with a full-length skirt draped over her stool that was equipped with ball-bearings and wheel. She could be whirled around the floor by a partner and pretend to be dancing! When her disability was discovered they often had their gigs canceled. Connee also introduced the crooning technique a la Bing Crosby with her "bah-bah-bah-booing" that later made Crosby famous. They appeared in several movies and were regulars on Crosby's radio program. Some of their hits included "When I Take My Sugar to Tea," "Dinah," "There'll Be Some Changes," "Shine On Harvest Moon," "The Object of My Affection," and, a song they first introduced on radio, "Stormy Weather". Many of their hit recordings were made with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. In addition to profiling songwriters like Jimmy Dorsey and Tommy Dorsey, they also introduced such sidemen as Benny Goodman, Carl Kress, Dick McDonough, Joe Venuti, Arthur Schutt Manny Klein, Bunny Berigan and Eddie Lang. Their only feature film together was The Big Broadcast (1932) as a specialty act in which they sang the song "Crazy People". They also starred in their own short film Close Farm-ony (1932) in which they warbled "Hittin' the Hay-Hey," "What Time Is It?" and "Give, Cow, Give". They influenced a new generation of singers including the The Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Dinah Shore. In 1936, the group signed to Decca, but after just three records they broke up because the "fun had turned into business" and Vet and Martha also wanted to focus on their marriages and family. Connee continued on solo and finally let the world know of her disability. She was an avid personality on the WWII touring circuit and entertained troops tirelessly and was said to inspire none other than Franklin D. Roosevelt who suffered from polio and was wheelchair ridden. Due to her disability, she was not able to travel overseas in USO tours. She did appeared in the Broadway shows "Star Time," "Curtain Time," and "Show Time". Connee was also the arranger of the group. Joining ASCAP in 1953, her song compositions include "Putting It On," "I Don't Mind" and "You Ain't Got Nothin'" She hit number one twice during the late 1930s, with the Bing Crosby duets "Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band". She continued recording into the '60s.