“Patty Andrews, the lead singer of the Andrews sisters group was born in Mound, Minnesota on February 16, 1918 in a house that occupied the property where The Gillespie Center stands today.
During the 1920’s Laverne, Maxene and Patty Andrews spent their summers in Mound, living with their parents in a house across the street from the grocery store that was owned by Pete and Ed Sollie, bachelor uncles of the three girls. (Today, Green T Accounting occupies the Sollie grocery store building and The Gillespie Center is on the land where the Andrews Sisters’ house once stood.)” - From a commentary by Tom Rockvam that appeared in The Laker Newspaper during 2005.
They started their career as imitators of an earlier successful singing group, the Boswell Sisters. After singing with various dance bands and touring on Vaudeville, they first came to national attention with their recordings and radio broadcasts in 1937. Their music entertained Allied troops worldwide during World War II, sold war bonds, appeared in several films (including a few Abbott and Costello features), and performed for soldiers serving overseas. Their first film with Abbott and Costello, the pre-war comedy Buck Privates, introduced their best-known recording, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" which would win Best Song at the Academy Awards.
They also recorded many songs with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and other popular artists of the era. Their popularity was such that after the war they discovered that some of their records had actually been smuggled into Germany after the labels had been changed to read "Hitler's Marching Songs."
After a brief hiatus after the war, the sisters regrouped, performing in clubs throughout the United States and Europe. They broke up in 1953, with Patty's choice to go solo. Their last appearance together was in 1962 on The Dean Martin Show. Laverne, who had cancer, retired soon after; she died five years later, in 1967 at the age of 55.
After a long silence, the two surviving sisters had something of a comeback when Bette Midler recorded a cover of their song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Maxene and Patty appeared both together and separately throughout the 1970s, with Maxene releasing a solo album in 1986. Their most notable comeback; however, was in the Sherman Brothers' nostalgic World War II musical: "Over Here!" which premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1974. The musical featured the two then living sisters (Maxene and Patty) and was written with them in mind for the leads. It launched the careers of many, now notable theater and film icons (John Travolta, Marilu Henner, Ann Reinking, et al). Ironically it was the last major hurrah of the sisters and was cut short due to a frivolous lawsuit initiated by Patty's husband to the show's producers.
Throughout their long career, the sisters had sold over 60 million records. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
The last of the three sisters Patty Andrews died of natural causes at her home in Northridge, California on January 30, 2013, just 17 days before her 95th birthday. The sisters were interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, close to their parents.
Sonny Boy
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though you're only three, Sonny Boy,
You've no way of knowing,
There's no way of showing,
What you mean to me, Sonny Boy.
When there are grey skies,
I don't mind the grey skies,
You make them blue, Sonny Boy.
Let them all forsake me,
I still have you, Sonny Boy.
You're sent from Heaven
And I know your worth,
You've made a Heaven
For me, right here on Earth
When I'm old and grey, dear,
Promise you won't stray, dear
For I love you so, Sonny Boy.
When there are grey skies,
I don't mind the grey skies,
You make them blue, Sonny Boy.
Friends may forsake me,
Let `em, let `em all forsake me,
I still have you, Sonny Boy.
You're sent from Heaven
And I know your worth,
Why, you made a Heaven
For me, right here on Earth.
And the Angels, they grew lonely,
And they took you because they were lonely,
Now I'm lonely too, Sonny Boy.
The Andrews Sisters' "Sonny Boy" is a tender and heartwarming song about a parent's unconditional love for their child. The lyrics describe a father's relationship with his son, who is only three years old. As the father holds his son on his knee, he acknowledges that the little boy is too young to understand how much he means to him. However, he also recognizes that his son is a special gift from heaven, who has brought light and happiness to his life. The father promises to never abandon his son, even when friends forsake him, and hopes that his child will stay by his side when he becomes old and grey. But the song takes a poignant turn when the father sings about how the Angels took his Sonny Boy, leaving him feeling lonely and bereft.
Line by Line Meaning
Climb upon my knee, Sonny Boy,
I welcome you to sit on my lap, my young son.
Though you're only three, Sonny Boy,
While you're just a preschooler, I have great affection for you.
You've no way of knowing,
You are unaware due to your age.
There's no way of showing,
I find it hard to express to you.
What you mean to me, Sonny Boy.
How much you matter to me.
When there are grey skies,
On days when I feel down,
I don't mind the grey skies,
I'm not bothered by the gloom,
You make them blue, Sonny Boy.
Because your presence makes everything better.
Friends may forsake me,
While my friends might abandon me,
Let them all forsake me,
I don't care if they do.
I still have you, Sonny Boy.
I still have a cherished relationship with you.
You're sent from Heaven
You are a gift from God,
And I know your worth,
And I appreciate your value.
You've made a Heaven
You've created a wonderful place,
For me, right here on Earth
For me here in the world.
When I'm old and grey, dear,
When I am elderly and grey-haired,
Promise you won't stray, dear
Promise you won't leave me,
For I love you so, Sonny Boy.
Because I love you deeply, my dear son.
And the Angels, they grew lonely,
And the angels grew sad and alone,
And they took you because they were lonely,
So they took you away as their company.
Now I'm lonely too, Sonny Boy.
And now I too am lonely without you by my side.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Jolson, B.g. Desylva, Lew Brown, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ruddiko
I love this version the most.
Paul Buie
my granny used to sing the song to me when I was a baby you still always put me to sleep I just smiled as I remember her listening to this
Nelson Smith
Never heard this version before, but it's really cute.
libertino07
last call the book of Tim Powers brought me here