They were first organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1946. The original members of the group were Janet Ertel (1913-November 4, 1988), Carol Bushman (her sister-in-law), Dorothy Schwartz, and Jinny Osborn (or Lockard) (April 25, 1927-May 19, 2003). In 1952, Lynn Evans replaced Schwartz, and in 1953, Margie Needham replaced Osborn (who was having a baby), though Osborn later returned to the group. Nancy Overton also was a member of the group at a later time. Originally they sang folk music in the style of The Weavers, but eventually changed to a harmonizing style of the type known as barbershop harmony. Part of this change seems to be influenced by Osborn's father.
Jinny Osborn was born in Seattle, Washington. She was born Virginia Cole, the daughter of O. H. "King" Cole, who was president of the Barbershop Harmony Society (then known as SPEBSQSA), and Katherine Flack.
After performing locally in Sheboygan, they went on Arthur Godfrey's radio program, Talent Scouts in 1949.They went on to feature status on Godfrey's daily program, and then went on to make a number of recordings for Columbia Records.
In 1953, Godfrey's music director and orchestra leader, Archie Bleyer, founded Cadence Records. He signed a number of Godfrey regulars and former regulars, including the Chordettes, who had a number of hit records for Cadence.
Their biggest hit was Mr. Sandman in 1954. Archie Bleyer himself is on that record along with the group, Bleyer stripping the sound down the better not to clutter the girls' voices. They also hit the top twenty with 1958's "Lollipop," and also charted with a vocal version of the themes from television's Zorro (1959) and the film Never on Sunday (1961). Other hits for the girls included "Eddie My Love," "Born to Be With You," and "Lay Down Your Arms" in 1956 and "Just Between You and Me" in 1957.
Janet Ertel married Bleyer in 1954. Her daughter Jackie married another Cadence recording star, Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers. She died of cancer in 1988.
The Chordettes appeared on American Bandstand August 5, 1957, kicking off the first episode of the show over the ABC Television Network.
In 1961, Jinny Osborn left the group, and they were unable to find a replacement with whom they were happy, leading to a breakup.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jinny Osborn (by that time Jinny Janis) died in 2003
My Heart Stood Still
The Chordettes Lyrics
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That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stood still
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
I could tell you knew
That unfelt clasp of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stopped right there
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt claps of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
The Chordettes' song "My Heart Stood Still" expresses the overwhelming feeling of falling in love with someone at first sight. The singer sings about how, upon seeing the person they are drawn to, their entire body moves and reacts except for their heart, which stands still. The lyrics capture the feeling of being smitten with someone and the physical sensations that accompany it.
The song emphasizes the power of nonverbal communication between two people. Even though no words were exchanged between the singer and their love interest, they could feel a sense of connection through an "unfelt clasp of hands." The song suggests that sometimes the most powerful moments between people can be conveyed through actions and gestures rather than words.
The repetition of the phrase "I never lived at all until the thrill of that moment when my heart stood still" emphasizes just how transformative falling in love can be. The singer feels like they have only just begun to live once they've fallen in love, and their heart standing still serves as a powerful symbol for this transformation.
Overall, "My Heart Stood Still" captures the enchanting feeling of falling in love and the transformative effect it can have on a person.
Line by Line Meaning
I took one look at you
As soon as I saw your face
That's all I meant to do
That was my only intention
And then my heart stood still
My heart was frozen in that moment
My feet could step and walk
I could physically move
My lips could move and talk
I had the ability to speak
And yet my heart stood still
But emotionally I was frozen
Though not a single word was spoken
Although we didn't say anything
I could tell you knew
I could sense that you understood
That unfelt clasp of hands
Our hands didn't physically touch
Told me so well you knew
But I could feel the connection
I never lived at all
Before that moment I wasn't truly alive
Until the thrill of that moment
It was only then
When my heart stood still
That my emotions were truly frozen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind