Patty Andrews of The Andrews Sisters Passes Away at 94

According to the Chicago Tribune, Patty Andrews, last surviving member of the acclaimed pop group the Andrews Sisters, died today, January 30, 2013. She was 94. Her sister Maxene died in 1995, and her sister LaVerne died in 1967.

The Andrews Sisters began performing in 1932 and got their big break in 1938 with "To Me, You're Grand". Their other hits include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Beer Barrel Polka", "Hold Tight, Hold Tight", "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "Rhumboogie", "Shoo-Shoo Baby", "Strip Polka", "I Can Dream, Can't I?", "Rum and Coca Cola" and "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time", among many others.

In their prime, the sisters performed with the likes of Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Danny Kaye, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Carmen Miranda, and appeared in many films as themselves. Before 1951, the group boasted record sales of almost 100 million. Their appearances at war rallies and troop concerts overseas made them a large part of the culture surrounding World War II.

Bette Midler later recorded her own version of their song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", which brought a resurgence for the surviving Andrews Sisters. Patty appeared onstage in a regional production of Victory Canteen in 1971. In 1974, Patty and Maxene Andrews appeared on Broadway in Over Here!.

Watch Patty's performance from Over Here! at the 1974 Tony Awards, introduced by Robert Preston, below!

More Articles by This Author...