Biographical Note
The Chordettes was a popular American female singing quartet of the 1950s and early 1960s, best known for their hit songs "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop." Jinny Osborn (1927-2003) formed the group in 1946 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, with three college friends. Osborn's musical tastes were influenced by her father, who was president of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. In addition to Osborn, the original members of the group were: Janet Ertel (d. 1988), Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel, and Dorothy "Dottie" Hummitzsch Schwartz (d. 2016). In 1947, Carol Buschmann replaced Alice Mae Buschmann (they were sister-in-laws); Lynn Evans replaced Schwartz in 1952; and Marjorie Needham replaced Osborn in 1953 (Osborn later returned to the group). Nancy Overton (d. 2009) also was a member at a later time. The group disbanded in 1961 when they couldn't find a suitable replacement for Jinny Osborn, who had left the group for the last time.
The Chordettes began performing locally in Sheboygan singing folk music. After switching to a cappella singing in the close harmony (barbershop harmony) style, they won an audition on Arthur Godfrey's radio program Talent Scouts in 1949 and soon became regulars on the show. Around this time they recorded several EPs for Columbia Records.
In 1953, Archie Bleyer, Arthur Godfrey's music director and orchestra leader, founded Cadence Records and hired many of Godfrey's regulars for the label, including the Chordettes. Now featuring musical accompaniment, the group had several hits for Cadence, including their biggest, "Mr. Sandman," in 1954. After the success of "Mr. Sandman," the Chordettes performed in nightclubs, on radio and television, and even entertained for President Eisenhower. Other hits for the quartet included “Eddie My Love" (1956), "Born to Be with You" (1956), "Lay Down Your Arms" (1956), and "Just Between You and Me" (1957). Their song "Lollipop," which appealed to a rock and roll audience, rose to no. 2 in 1958. The group also charted with vocal versions of the themes from the Disney television program Zorro (1959) and the film Never on Sunday (1961).
The Chordettes was one of the longest-lived vocal groups of their time, adapting to the rock era with covers of rock and R&B songs for the pop market. They continued to alternate between pop songs and songs aimed for the rock market during the late 1950s and early 1960s with covers such as "Charlie Brown," "Lonely Boy," and "Pink Shoelaces." The group had fourteen chart records and four top tens in twenty-two releases.