Patty Andrews, who along with her sisters helped serenade troops in World War II with their catchy songs, has died at age 94. She was the last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters.
Her attorney, Richard Rosenthal, confirmed her death on Wednesday to The Los Angeles Times. Patty, the youngest sister, died at her Los Angeles home from natural causes. The oldest sister, LaVerne, died in 1967 and Maxine, the middle sister, died in 1995.
Their three-part harmony contributed to countless hits in the 1930s and 1940s, notes USA Today. They sold between 75 million and 100 million albums during their time, making them the most popular pop female group in history. “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Shortenin’ Bread,” “(I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time,” and “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” are just a few hits.
The sisters also frequently worked with Bing Crosby, recording “Accentuate the Positive” and “Don’t Fence Me In” with him.
During the war, their popularity was at an all-time high. It was their voices that got to announce the end of the war in 1945 during a concert for GIs in Italy.
“At first there was dead silence,” Maxine remembered in an interview with the LA Times years later. “Then Patty repeated the message. 'This is really true,' she told them, and then she started to cry. Suddenly there was a roar. They knew they would be going home, and they did.”
In later years, the sisters rarely spoke, especially after Patty joined another group in 1951. However, they started working together again five years later, going strong until LaVerne’s death. Patty and Maxine went their separate ways only meeting with each other a handful of times before her death.