The Andrews Sisters were an American
close harmony singing group of the
swing and
boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters:
contralto LaVerne Sophia (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967),
soprano Maxine Angelyn "Maxene" (January 3, 1916 – October 21, 1995), and
mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" (February 16, 1918 – January 30, 2013). Throughout their long career, the sisters sold well over 75 million records (the last official count released by
MCA Records in the mid-1970s). Their 1941 hit "
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" can be considered an early example of
rhythm and blues or
jump blues.