Sisters, Sisters Trivia Quiz

Answer: The DeMarco Sisters

The five DeMarco Sisters, Anne, Gina, Gloria, Terri and Arlene, were actually sisters. They had a very lush sound that was popular with audiences of the time. They were regularly heard on radio, appearing on "The Fred Allen Show" for four years, and made many television appearances with Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason. They toured with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole.

Answer: The Beverley Sisters

Consisting of older sister Joy, and twins Babs and Teddie, the Beverley Sisters started their long career in the 1950s, and were popular throughout the 1950s and 1960s. They toured extensively, and appeared frequently on television variety shows. In 1958 Joy married Billy Wright, the first footballer to be capped for England 100 times.

In 2002 they entered the "Guinness Book of Records" as the longest surviving vocal group without a change of line up, and in 2006 were given the MBE in the New Year Honours List.

Their best known song is "Sisters", which became their unofficial theme tune.

Answer: Boswell

The Boswell Sisters were well known in their home town in the 1920s, playing local theatres and appearing on local radio shows. They did not come to national attention until the early 1930s, when they moved to New York and started recording for Brunswick Records. With arrangements by Glen Miller, and accompanied by some of the finest jazz musicians of the day, their Brunswick recordings are said by many to be a milestone of vocal jazz.

Their last record was made in 1935 and they split up in 1936.

Answer: The Kaye Sisters

Carol Young, Shirley Palmer and Sheila Jones took their name from their manager, Carmen Kaye. They always dressed in matching outfits with identical hair styles, and for a while had popularity on par with the Beverley Sisters. Their first record, "Ivory Tower", made number 20 on the UK Charts in 1956, and remains their best known song. Popular on television and in variety shows, where they appeared with stars such as Tommy Cooper, Ken Dodd and Frankie Howerd, they never made it in America.

Their one appearance with Ed Sullivan failed to crack a market used to sister acts such as the Andrews Sisters.

Answer: Phyllis

The McGuire Sisters started singing in church, where their mother was an ordained minister. When they started, in 1935, Phyllis was only 4. By 1949 they were signing at veterans hospitals and military bases, and in 1952 appeared on a talent show run by Arthur Godfrey. Over the next few years they maintained a high profile on television, appearing with Danny Kaye, Milton Berle, Andy Williams, Dean Martin and others.

In 1957 they had a Billboard number one with "Sugartime". They retired in 1968.

Answer: The Pickens Sisters

In 1932 Victor records signed the Pickens Sisters as their answer to Brunswick's Boswell Sisters. Over the next two years they made several records for Victor, but lacked the jazz edge of the Boswell sisters. The trio dissolved when two of the sisters married, and a fourth sister who did not sing, but who managed them, also left. Jane Pickens then pursued a very successful solo career, which included Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 in a cast that included Gypsy Rose Lee and Fanny Brice.

Answer: The King Sisters

The Driggs Sisters started broadcasting on Oakland station KXL in 1931. This was during the depression and their $25 a week supported their entire family. In 1932 the family moved to Salt Lake City and they received an offer to broadcast on KSL five times a week.

The station disliked their name and it was changed to the King Sisters. In 1934 one of their broadcasts was heard by bandleader Horace Heidt, who hired them to perform with him in San Francisco. At one time the group grew to six, five sisters and a friend, but two left when the band went on the road, and the remaining four, Yvonne, Donna, Alyce and Louise, went on to join Artie Shaw.

They were the first group to record a vocal version of "In The Mood".

Answer: Bing Crosby

The Andrews Sisters, LaVerne, Maxene and Patty, were the most popular sister act in America from the late 1930s to the 1960s. They appeared with virtually all the well known big bands including Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. As well as recording by themselves they also made records with many well known stars of the time. Bing Crosby made several records with them.

In an astonishing career they achieved more top ten hits than Elvis Presley or The Beatles. In the 1950s and 1960s they appeared on every major television variety show in America, as well as touring and singing live with Judy Garland, Bob Hope and Nat King Cole among others.

They came to an end with the death of LaVerne in 1967.

Answer: The Sentimentalists

The Sentimentalists started life as The Clark Sisters, however Tommy Dorsey would not let them use that name. His break up with the Pied Pipers had been acrimonious and he wanted a vocal group that he owned in every respect, including their name. Although never achieving the same level of fame and popularity as the Andrews Sisters or the McGuire Sisters, the girls were very popular with jazz fans, due to their unique vocal style where they often emulated instruments.

They left Tommy Dorsey in 1953 and recorded three albums of their own, as well as continuing to perform.

These records have now been re-issued under the name of the Original Clark Sisters to avoid confusion with a current gospel group of the same name.

Answer: Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford wanted to be an opera singer, but the depression meant she could not afford the training. Instead she joined her two sisters, Christine and Pauline, in the Stafford Sisters performing on Los Angeles radio station KHJ. The group broke up when her sisters married, and Jo went on join the Pied Pipers, performing with Tommy Dorsey's band.

In 1944 she went solo and in the 1950s had several Billboard top ten records including "Shrimp Boats" and "Jambalaya".