The Boswell Sisters on the cover of the reissue album collection That's How Rhythm Was Born

The Boswell Sisters were a close harmony singing group that attained national prominence in the USA in the 1930s. Image File history File links Boswell_Sisters-Thats_How_Rhythm_Was_Born. ... Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range, typically one octave. ... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ...

Sisters Martha Boswell (1905-1958), Connee Boswell (December 3, 1907-October 11, 1976), and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (May 20, 1911 - 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. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718 Government  - Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area  - City  350. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby  - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City  151. ...

They came to be well known locally while still in their early teens, making appearances in New Orleans 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, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records from 1931-1935. These Brunswick records are milestone recordings; Connee's complicated reworking of the melodies and rhythms of the popular songs, together with Glenn Miller's hot arrangements, made these recordings quite amazing. Melodies were rearranged, slowed down, major key changed to minor key and visa versa. The Boswell Sisters were about the only performers allowed to make these changes to current popular tunes. (At that time, the music publishers had a lot of power and it wasn't usually accepted to alter current popular songs.) Connee also recorded a series of more conventional solo records for Brunswick during the same period. Victor logo with the famous Nipper dog. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676 Government  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918; from the late 1920s on was a subsidiary of Columbia Records. ... The Brunswick Records logo Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. ... Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 — presumably December 15, 1944), was an American jazz musician and bandleader in the swing era. ...

The name of their song "Rock and Roll" is an early use of the term (though far from the first). It is not one of the sisters' hotter numbers; it refers to "the rolling rocking rhythm of the sea". Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

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. (The "powers that be" apparently thought it might not be a morale-booster to have a "cripple" perform for the troops!)

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. The Andrews Sisters on the cover of the reissue collection The Best of the Andrew Sisters: The Millennium Collection. ... Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella (the First Lady of Song), was considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ...

Current groups "The Pfister Sisters" and "Boswellmania" continue to imitate the sister's recordings.

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. Nickname: Americas Finest City Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Diego Founded July 16, 1769 Incorporated March 27, 1850 Government  - Mayor Jerry Sanders  - City Attorney Michael Aguirre  - City Council Scott Peters Kevin Faulconer Toni Atkins Tony Young Brian Maienschein... Amy Pietz (born March 6, 1969) is an American actress. ... Forever Plaid is a musical comedy written in New York in 1990 and now performed internationally. ...

The Boswell Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World. The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. ...

External Links

• The Boswell Sisters Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page

• The Boswell Sisters at IMDB [1]