The Boswell Sisters

The Boswell Sisters
were a close harmony
singing group that attained
national prominence in the
USA in the 1930s.

Sisters Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 - July 2, 1958), Connee Boswell (December 3, 1907 - October 11, 1976), and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (May 20, 1911 - November 12, 1988) were raised by a middle-class family on Camp Street in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. Martha and Connee were born in Kansas City, Missouri. Helvetia was born in Birmingham, Alabama.

They came to be well known in New Orleans while still in their early teens, making appearances in local theaters and radio. They made their first recordings for Victor Records in 1925. They did not attain national attention, however, until they moved to New York City in 1930 and started making national radio broadcasts. After a few recordings with Okeh Records in 1930, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records from 1931-1935.

These Brunswick records are milestone recordings; Connie's complicated reworking of the melodies and rhythms of the popular songs, together with Glenn Miller's hot arrangements, and first rate New York jazz musicians (including The Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman, Bunny Berigan, Fulton McGrath, Joe Venuti, Arthur Schutt, Eddie Lang, Joe Tarto, Manny Klein, Dick McDonough, and Carl Kress), made these recordings unlike any others. Melodies were rearranged, slowed down, major key changed to minor key and vice versa. The Boswell Sisters were about the only performers allowed to make these changes to current popular tunes. (During this era, the music publishers had a lot of power and performers usually pressured by the record companies not to alter current popular song arrangements.) Connee also recorded a series of more conventional solo records for Brunswick during the same period.

The name of their 1934 song "Rock and Roll" is an early use of the term. It is not one of their hotter numbers; it refers to "the rolling rocking rhythm of the sea".
In 1936, the group signed to Decca and after just 3 records, broke up (the last recording was February 12, 1936).

Connee Boswell continued to have a successful solo career as a singer for Decca.

She had changed the spelling of her name from Connie to Connee, reputedly because it made it easier to sign autographs.

(It's interesting to note that Connee sang from a wheelchair - or seated position - during her entire career, due to an accident she suffered as a young child.

Amazingly, when she tried to get involved with the U.S.O. during World War II, she was not given permission to travel overseas due to her disability.)

The Boswell Sisters chalked up 20 hits during the 1930s including the number one record "The Object of My Affection" in 1935.

The Andrews Sisters started out as Boswell Sisters imitators. Young Ella Fitzgerald loved the Boswell Sisters and in particular idolized Connee, after whose singing style she patterned her own.

Current groups The Pfister Sisters and Boswellmania continue to imitate the sister's recordings. The Ditty Bops have covered Boswell sisters songs in concert.

In 2001, The Boswell Sisters, a major musical based on their lives, had its world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California. The play starred Michelle Duffy, Elizabeth Ward Land, and Amy Pietz and was produced by the same team that produced Forever Plaid. The show was a hit with audiences and a critical success, but failed to be picked up for a much hoped-for Broadway run.


The
Boswell
Sisters
were
inducted
into the
Vocal Group
Hall of Fame
in 1998.