Swing
It! The Andrew Sisters Story
John Sforza
During
the mid-20th century, as American soldiers prepared for war,
three young gals from the Midwest prepared to take the world
by storm. They practiced their sweet harmonies and hoped that
audiences would enjoy their gleeful, up-tempo tunes. But little
did Patti, Maxine, and LaVerne Andrews know that they would
leave a revolutionary mark on the future of all female singing
groups and the entire swing movement.
The
Andrews Sisters professional and personal metamorphosis
is revealed in John Sforzas entertaining and educational
biography, Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story. The book offers
a chronological journey from the inception of the sisters
career to LaVernes untimely death and the groups
demise, as Sforza deftly walks us through the milestones that
shaped the lives of these talented women and the music of
an era. The author handles The Andrews Sisters early
years with particular vigor, offering the reader a behind-the-
scenes look at the groups personal dynamics, without
being exploitative or judgmental. Sforzas detailed appendix
of the sisters show-biz career provides interesting
historical statistics - such as which of the Andrews Sisters
hits were most frequently played on jukeboxes during World
War IIand a record of their filmography. Such sweeping
data makes the gravity of their influence on history more
tangible. The book also includes a photographic essay of the
groups career.
A
readable, informational journey, Swing It! is a great selection
not just for those enamored of The Andrew Sisters, but also
for anyone interested in swings influence on American
history.
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Laura Dave
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