The Lennon Sisters

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The Lennon Sisters
Peggy Lennon
WebsiteLennonSisters.com

The Lennon Sisters are an American vocal group that has been made up, at one time or another, of three or four sisters. The quartet originally consisted of Dianne (a.k.a. DeeDee; born Dianne Barbara, December 1, 1939), Peggy (born Margaret Anne, April 8, 1941), Kathy (born Kathleen Mary, August 2, 1943), and Janet (born Janet Elizabeth, June 15, 1946).

From 1955 to 1968, the group appeared regularly on

union scale wages) before having their own television variety show, called Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters, with Jimmy Durante. After the show was cancelled, they partnered with Andy Williams to create a successful Las Vegas residency, which lasted a decade. In 1999, younger sister Mimi (born Miriam Theresa, October 16, 1955) replaced Peggy upon the latter's retirement. DeeDee has also since retired. The current line-up of the Lennon Sisters is a trio consisting of Kathy, Janet, and Mimi. They continue to tour around the country and, until recently, performed annually with their Christmas show at The Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri
.

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life

The Lennon Sisters were born into a family of twelve children (seven sisters and five brothers), all born in

Wilmington, California. Pablo's great-great-great-grandfather, Bernardo Salgado De Oliberos, was born in San Andrés, Spain.[3]

During their formative years, the family, which included two parents, eleven children, and one grandmother, lived in

Los Angeles Archdiocese. Most or all[clarification needed] of the children attended Catholic school. Throughout the Lennon Sisters' career, their faith has had a major influence in both their lives and their careers. Many of their songs are either hymns or of a religious or spiritual nature.[4]

Career on The Lawrence Welk Show

The quartet made its television debut on The Lawrence Welk Show on Christmas Eve 1955.[5] A high school classmate, Larry Welk, son of Lawrence Welk, brought them to the attention of his father. Welk was at home, sick in bed, when his son brought the sisters in to sing for him. Welk was so impressed that he immediately booked them for that week's show, where they were a mainstay until they left to start a career of their own in 1968. The quartet was a trio from 1960 to 1964 after DeeDee married and left the group; she rejoined in 1964 (although making a small handful of appearances throughout her years not on the show). Peggy sang the high harmony, Kathy the low harmony, and Janet and DeeDee sang the middle and lead harmonies. Peggy also specialized in barbershop, or counter-harmony, singing, taught to her by her father (who performed during the Big Band Era in a quartet with his own three brothers). The girls idolized Patti Page's multi-track vocal sound, feeling they achieved something close to her smooth blend in their Dot recording of "Stars Fell on Alabama". Kathy was especially fond of Connie Francis, evident in her solo recording of "Malaguena", which showcased her impressive vocal range. And also with the numerous hairstyles that Kathy would wear like her signature “swept wing look”. The sisters made no secret that they were huge fans of the innovative, intricate musical stylings of both The Andrews Sisters and The Mills Brothers.[6]

Their first hit,

"Tonight, You Belong to Me", reached No. 15 on the charts in 1956. In 1961, their single "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)" (Dot 16255) reached the top of the charts in Japan, although making it only to No. 56 on Billboard in the United States. It was the lone No. 1 single of their career, turning out to be their all-time highest-charting record. Although much of the group's fame was based on their television appearances, they also recorded frequently for Dot Records in the 1950s and 1960s, producing a dozen albums, featuring their interpretations of well-known standards such as "Among My Souvenirs", "Moon River", and "Twilight Time". Some of their best-known recordings included "Scarlet Ribbons", "Greensleeves", and Schubert's "Ave Maria". A themed LP titled Dominique featured the Lennon Sisters with their musically talented siblings and cousins performing a variety of 1960s folk songs, including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I Had My Way (The Sermon of Samson)", as well as the title track. They recorded briefly for Mercury Records after leaving Dot, focusing on more contemporary pop/light-rock fare, such as "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "Never My Love". Their four most popular albums were Lawrence Welk Presents The Lennon Sisters: Best-Loved Catholic Hymns (Dot); Christmas with The Lennon Sisters (Dot); Somethin' Stupid (Dot);and Noel, their Christmas album for Mercury Records. Their full-bodied, homestyle choral blend was perfect for such yuletide favorites as "Adeste Fideles", "Christmas Island", "Faith of Our Fathers", "The Star Carol", and "Home for the Holidays".[6]

Several souvenir items, such as coloring books, paper dolls, and story books featuring the Lennon sisters, were produced.

union scale wages for their jobs on the show. The Lennons and Lawrence Welk
would agree that the sisters would appear on the show only once a month starting in 1967 so the sisters could pursue other opportunities and earn a bit more income for their families. However, over time this agreement would not work for Lawrence and in February 1968 the sisters were let go from the show. Singing the song “Sweet and Low” the Lennons and Welk would go their separate ways.

Tragedy

In summer 1969, the Lennon Sisters were filming episodes for their upcoming variety series, Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters Hour. After filming five episodes, the Lennon Sisters went on a two-week hiatus. On August 12, 1969, their father, William Lennon, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Venice Golf Course in

Marina Del Rey, where he worked as a private instructor. Shortly before his death, Lennon had retired from managing his daughters' careers; he had been on set at every one of their television appearances since 1955. William Lennon was killed by a former Air Force officer named Chet Young. Young, who had previously been committed to Atascadero State Hospital and judged to be “dangerously insane”,[8] believed that he was married to Peggy and was convinced that William Lennon stood in the way of his "marriage" to Peggy and had to be eliminated. Two months later, Young used the same weapon on himself to commit suicide. The sisters discovered an unopened letter containing a cut-out of their father, a picture of a gun pointed at his head, and the words "High Noon" (the time of the murder).[9]
The sisters were devastated by their father's death, and in the wake of the murder, their new show was impacted by this tragedy and lasted only one and a half seasons.

Later career

In the 1970s, the sisters performed regularly on

The Hollywood Squares. In the spring of 1982, Larry Welk asked the Lennon Sisters if they would like to perform at the Welk Theater from May until New Year's Eve for the Branson entertainment season. The four sisters moved their families from the Los Angeles area to Branson, Missouri. After the death of Lawrence Welk on May 17, 1992, the Lennon Sisters quartet headlined at the Welk Champagne Theater in Branson from 1994 to 2012. When Peggy retired from singing in 1999, younger sister Mimi took her place, and when Dianne left for a second time in 2001, the act was a trio again for the rest of its run in Branson.[10]
They continue to tour across the country and appear annually with their Christmas show at The Andy Williams Moon River Theatre, marking twenty consecutive years of performing in Branson.

Other than their thirteen years on The Lawrence Welk Show, the sister group would appear on many other different shows throughout the years, including

Password Plus (Janet Lennon only), Soul Train (As a group in 1980 and 1984, and Kathy alone in 1988 and 1990), The Merv Griffin Show
.

While continuing to play tour dates, Kathy and Janet Lennon have branched out into the toy market in 2006, designing and selling a line of "Best Pals" dolls. In addition to the dolls, the sisters have recorded CDs of favorite children's songs for the "Best Pals" line. The four original Lennon Sisters wrote an autobiography titled Same Song, Separate Voices, first published in 1985, with a new edition in 1995. In 2011, The Lennon Sisters: Same Song, Separate Voices (using the same name as the book), a musical documentary celebrating the group's fifty-five years in show business, aired on PBS, although an updated version of the tv special was aired on PBS in 2020.[11]

Two of their five brothers,

The Villages, the world's largest retirement community, for shows. They last performed in The Villages on February 15, 2016.[13]

Members

Names Birth date Spouse(s)
Dianne (Retired) (1939-12-01) December 1, 1939 (age 85) Dick Gass, m. October 16, 1960 – present, three children
Peggy (Retired) (1941-04-08) April 8, 1941 (age 83) 1. Dick Cathcart (1924–1993), m. May 24, 1964, six children
2. Robert Felt (1926-2013), m. July 2, 1995
Kathy (1943-08-02) August 2, 1943 (age 81) 1. Mahlon Clark (1923–2007), m. June 26, 1967, divorced 1979
2. Jim Daris, m. April 24, 1982 – present
Janet (1946-06-15) June 15, 1946 (age 78) 1. Lee Bernhardi, m. May 7, 1966, divorced, three children
2. John Bahler, m. September 25, 1976 – present, two children
Mimi (1955-10-16) October 16, 1955 (age 69) Danny Macias, m. November 5, 1977–present, two children

Awards

In 1987, The Lennon Sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.[14]

In 2001, The Lennon Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.[15]

In 2022, The Lennon Sisters received the Standard Award from the Great American Songbook Foundation.[16]

Discography

Albums

Title Details Charts
US
Let's Get Acquainted
  • Label: Brunswick – BL 54031
  • Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono
  • Released: 1957
Lawrence Welk Featuring The Lennon Sisters
  • Label: Coral
  • Format(s): LP (CRL 57262)[17]
  • Released: 1958
Christmas With The Lennon Sisters
  • Label: Dot Records - DLP-25343
  • Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
  • Released: 1960
 95
#1 Hits Of The 1960s
  • Label: Dot Records – DLP 25589
  • Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
  • Released: 1964
Melody Of Love compilation
Solos by the Lennon Sisters
  • Label: Dot Records - DLP 25659
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1965
Our Favorite Songs
Somethin’ Stupid
  • Label: Dot Records - DLP 25729
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1967
 77
On The Groovy Side
  • Label: Dot Records - DLP 25829
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1967
The Lennon Sisters Today!
Noel
  • Label: Mercury Records - SR 61180
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1968
Pop County
  • Label: Mercury Records - SR 61201
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1969
Too Marvelous For Words Compilation
  • Label: Vocalion 2 - VL 73864
  • Format: Vinyl, LP
  • Released: 1969

Singles

Year Title Charts
US US
Cashbox
[18]
1956 "Tonight You Belong to Me"[19] 15 —
1957 "Shake Me I Rattle (Squeeze Me I Cry)"[20] — —

References

  1. ^ Los Angeles Times, 21 Jul 1954, p2
  2. ^ "Lennon family mother dies in Missouri at age of 85," The Argonaut, 23 June 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2013
  3. ^ "Lennon Sisters". walkoffame.com. December 15, 1987. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  4. ^ Source: interview/live performance, 6/18/2013, Home and Family, Hallmark Channel.
  5. ^ "Lennon Sisters". Welkshow.org. August 12, 1969. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Sforza, John: "Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story;" University Press of Kentucky, 2000; 289 pages.
  7. ^ "The Lennon Sisters : Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  8. ^ "Suspect In Slaying Lennon Sisters' Father Kills Himself". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 19, 1969. p. 3.
  9. ISBN 9780440225997
    .
  10. ^ "The Lennon Sisters - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation". vocalgroup.org. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  11. ^ "The Lennon Sisters: Same Song, Separate Voices (TV Movie 2011)". IMDb. November 26, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  12. ^ "Venice The Band – Home". venicecentral.com. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  13. ^ "Villagers thrilled to see Lennon Sisters in pair of concerts at Savannah Center". Villages-News.com. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  14. The Lewiston Journal
    . December 16, 1987. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  15. ^ "Induction Concerts". The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  16. ^ "The Lennon Sisters". thesongbook.org. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums: LAWRENCE WELK FEATURING THE LENNON SISTERS. Billboard, 9 March 1959. March 9, 1959.
  18. ISBN 9780810815957
    .
  19. ISBN 9781442230682
    .
  20. ^ ""Shake Me I Rattle (Squeeze Me I Cry)"/"Pocahontas" (7" vinyl single sleeve insert)". Brunswick Records. August 1957. 9-55028.
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