The Chordettes

Close harmony barbershop-style vocal quartet of the 1950s, noted for their folksy or swinging a capella renditions. Formed in 1946, their original line-up consisted of Jinny Osborn (1927-2003), Janet Ertel, Dorothy Schwartz and Carol Bushman (1927-2023). Later members included Lynn Evans, Margie Needham (1929-2025) and Nancy Overton. The Chordettes first came to prominence on radio as winners of the Arthur Godfrey program 'Talent Scouts'. From 1949, they were regularly featured on Godfrey's television show, and, four years later, were signed by his former musical director Archie Bleyer (Ertel's husband) to Cadence Records. Usually more pop-oriented than in sync with the prevailing appetite for rock-n-roll, the group succeeded by capitalising on nostalgia for 1940s swing (a la The Andrews Sisters). Their string of popular hits included the catchy lullaby "Mr. Sandman" (which went to # 1 on U.S. charts for seven weeks in 1954), "Lollipop" (# 2 in 1958), "Born To Be With You" (# 5 in 1956), "Just Between You and Me" (# 8 in 1957), "Zorro" (# 17 in 1958) and "Never On Sunday" (#13 in 1960). "Mr. Sandman", in particular, has been featured on numerous motion pictures (Halloween II (1981), Uncle Buck (1989), Deadpool (2016)) and TV episodes (Grimm (2011), Sleepy Hollow (2013), Doctor Who (2005)). The Chordettes disbanded after 1961, following the departure of Jinny Osborn. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.