Active until 1955 Genres Jazz, Holiday, World, Pop | Active from 1941 | |
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Albums Almost Sweet and Gentle Members Jean Dinning, Lou Dinning, Ginger Dinning, Tootsie Dinning Similar Bob Atcher, Mark Dinning, Ethel Smith, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Buddy Clark | ||
The dinning sisters you re a character dear
The Dinning Sisters were an American sisters singing group, active from 1941 to 1955.
Contents
- The dinning sisters you re a character dear
- Early years
- Radio
- Recording
- Later careers
- Sibling
- Songs
- References
The trio consisted of Ella Lucille "Lou" Dinning (September 29, 1920 – April 28, 2000), Jean Dinning (March 29, 1924 – February 22, 2011) and Virginia "Ginger" Dinning (March 29, 1924 – October 14, 2013). Jean and Ginger were twins.
Lucille left the group in 1946 to be replaced by Jayne Bundesen who stayed until 1952. Lucille was married to composer and pop artist Don Robertson. She made several recordings for Capitol Records as Lou Dinning including duets with her husband Don.
Early years
The sisters were born in Caldwell, Kansas, United States, and raised in Oklahoma. From a family of nine children, all of whom sang harmony in church, the three sisters won amateur singing contests.
Radio
In 1939, the Dinnings had a program on WENR in Chicago, Illinois. They first gained national exposure on the NBC Radio show "Barn Dance".
Recording
In 1943, the group was signed by Capitol Records to be that label's answer to The Andrews Sisters, who recorded exclusively for Decca Records. Lucille (Lou) Dinning once said, "Let's face it, the Andrews Sisters were way ahead of us. We tried our darndest to be as commercial as they were, but weren't flashy enough. We were all kind of shy. We came from a farm in Oklahoma. We never took dancing lessons or anything." The Dinnings sounded rather like The Andrews Sisters in fast-paced recordings such as the boogie-woogie influenced "Pig Foot Pete," as well as "Down in the Diving Bell," "The Hawaiian War Chant," and "They Just Chopped Down the Old Apple Tree," an "answer" song to "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me)". The Dinning sound could also be compared, especially in slower ballads, to the soft blend of The Lennon Sisters, who appeared in the 1950s on The Lawrence Welk Show.
The Dinning Sisters charted four hits during the 1940s, including two top 10 successes. The group received further exposure from their appearances in the films, That Texas Jamboree (1946) and Throw a Saddle on a Star (1946).
Later careers
Lou Dinning recorded several sides as a solo artist for Capitol. Jean Dinning co-composed the song, "Teen Angel", which became a No. 1 hit for her brother, Mark Dinning.
Ginger Dinning (latterly Virginia Lutke) died on October 14, 2013, aged 89.
Sibling
Another sister, Marvin Dinning (née Marvis Geraldine Dinning; 1918–2000) (died as Marvin Smith), was a vocalist with Wally Stoefler (né Wallace Udell Stoeffler; 1906–1979) and His Orchestra from the late 1930s through the early 1950s. She had married Harry Smith (né Harry Franklin Smith) — a featured trumpeter with the Stoefler Orchestra — on January 3, 1942, in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Songs
My Adobe HaciendaThe Very Best Of · 2010
The Way You Look TonightThe Very Best Of The Dinning Sisters · 2008
The Kissing SongThe Very Best Of · 2010