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
The Wedding
The Chordettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love me forever and ever)
I do, I do, I swear to
Always love you (love you)
With all my heart and soul
(Heart and soul) forever and ever
And never go away (go away)
And we'll become as one (as one)
On our wedding day
We'll walk down the aisle
The preacher will smile
We'll make our life worthwhile
I'll say that I do
You'll say that you do too
And the priest will
Pronounce us man and wife
The memory (memory)
Will always be with me (with me)
As we exchange our vows (our vows)
On our wedding day
On our wedding day
The lyrics of The Chordettes' song The Wedding express the love and commitment of a couple on their wedding day. The first verse starts with the officiating priest asking the couple if they swear to love each other forever and ever to which they respond with a resounding "I do, I do." The second verse continues with the couple reaffirming their love for each other, promising to always love each other with all their hearts and souls. They commit to never leaving each other's side and becoming one on their wedding day. The chorus describes the wedding ceremony, as they walk down the aisle towards the priest who will officiate their unity as they exchange their vows, becoming man and wife.
The song celebrates the sanctity of marriage and the bond between two people, promising to be with each other forever. The melody and rhythm of the song are slow and romantic, making it a perfect choice for couples to dance to on their wedding day. The simplicity and authenticity of the lyrics make them timeless and universal, resonating with anyone who has experienced the joy of marriage and the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you swear to
Love me forever and ever
Do you promise to love me for all eternity?
I do, I do, I swear to
Always love you (love you)
I promise to always love you and nobody else.
With all my heart and soul
(Heart and soul) forever and ever
I promise to love you with every fiber of my being, for as long as I live.
I'll marry you (marry you)
And never go away (go away)
I will marry you and never leave your side, no matter what.
And we'll become as one (as one)
On our wedding day
On our wedding day, we will become unified and bound together as one.
We'll walk down the aisle
The preacher will smile
We'll make our life worthwhile
As we walk down the aisle, the preacher will be happy to see us starting our new life together, and we will make our lives worth living.
I'll say that I do
You'll say that you do too
And the priest will
Pronounce us man and wife
We will exchange vows and the priest will officially declare us married.
The memory (memory)
Will always be with me (with me)
As we exchange our vows (our vows)
On our wedding day
The memory of our vows and our wedding day will always stay with me, forever.
On our wedding day
The day we get married, the beginning of our new life together.
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DisneyTohru56
I love the Chordettes :3 <3 They have beautiful voices :"D I listen to their songs all the time :D
Luis Frechilla Celorio
Increibles voces. Un poco de nostalgia en nuestras vidas nos hace valorar la nuestra actual
Carlos Gonzalez
I love the Chordettes!
Raúl Ernesto Guzmán Rodríguez
Me hubiese gustado estar en esa epoca hermosa con estos sones, seguro mi madre las escuchaba
I like cats
One of my favorites to listen. Beautiful song.
Rodolfo Perez
I won't forget this great group of girls - what a greater songs they sang. Not to mention the musical director Archie Bleyer. Thanks for this video-song
Sam Mac
I love to hear Janet Ertels voice, hope shes resting in piece
Annette Moyle
With Archie and her son in law
Ann Milliette
One of my all time favorites by the Chordettes, Other than "Eddy my love" Hah.
kai gonzalez
Great art