Patty Andrews(1918-2013)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
She was born in Mound, Minnesota on 16 February 1918, the daughter of
Peter Andreos (changed to 'Andrews' upon arriving in the US) and Olga
Sollie. Her real name was Patricia Marie (Patty nickname). Her father
was a Greek Catholic immigrant and her mother a Lutheran from Norway
who ran the pure food café, a Greek café in Minneapolis which was
located adjacent to the Orpheum Theater. Her sisters were Lavern Sophie
born July 6, 1911, died 1967 (cancer); Maxene Angelyn born Jan. 3,
1916, died October 1995 of a heart attack while on vacation at Cape
Cod, Massachusetts. Peter Andrews did not think it honorable to have
his daughters in show business and decided they should go back to
school and become secretaries. Maxine was only four when she first
appeared on her first radio broadcast in Minneapolis. By the time she
was six she was entertaining at veterans hospitals, for the Mayor of
Minneapolis and at Daughters of American Revolution luncheons. Laverne
started the trio of sisters and they appeared in kiddie revues on local
radio stations and at the Orpheum in their hometown of Minneapolis. It
was there they were discovered by Larry Rich, who offered them a job
with his traveling revue. Patty was only ten at the time. They began
their career in New York city with Jack Belasco's orchestra and later
with Ted Mack making the Vaudeville circuit. In
1937 they were heard by recording executive, Dave Kapp and they began a
long association with a string of hits. In 1953, the group broke up
with Laverne going to New York to study dramatics. Laverne became a
career housewife and Patti stayed in show business as a single after
their hopes and ambitions clashed with one another. In 1956 they
regrouped and sang in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel along with a host
of TV offers and a new Capitol recording contract. Their first major
hit was "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon", was very well liked by Nazi Germany,
until the discovery that the songwriters were a Jewish race. Other top
hits included "Don't Fence Me In", "Apple Blossom Time", "Rum and Coca
Cola", and "I Can Dream, Can't I?", in 1937.
