[78-L] Three Sisters Question

[Ray Kilcoyne]

Thanks Kristjan,
Nice find.
It was their pictures that made me suspicious.
Mary, especially, does not seem related to the other two.
Also, not a high likelihood of a Marie and a Mary in the same house.
Too confusing.
Marie and Molly remains a possibility.
Looks like I'll have to settle for the "mystery" explanation.
RayK
>
From: Kristjan Saag
Marie, Mary and Molly.
These three girls sang with Henry Hall from January 1936 until summer
1937, when Molly & Marie formed a duo with that name and Mary Ashworth
reformed The Three Sisters with two members of The Rhythm Sisters (Kay
Munro Smith and Mavis Edwards) who had been working with Sam Browne and
Ambrose.
The break-up probably had to do with Henry Hall terminating his job with
the BBC Dance Orchestra and going on tour for nearly two years.
Mary Ashworth also recorded two titles in a duo with Stan Bowsher during
the Hall period.
Neither Mary Ashworth or Molly & Marie or The Three Sisters appear in
Rust/ Forbes "British Dance Bands On Record" after April 1937.
Whether they were real sisters or not remains a mystery - they seemed to
have avoided using their surnames. Even Peter Cliffe, author of the
extremely well researched "Fascinating Rhythm" (a book about British
dance music from the 1920's and 30's, only know them from their first
names.)
See this clip from Dance Band Diary, August 1937:
http://archive.nationaljazzarchive.co.uk/archive/journals/the-dance-band-diaries/volume-8-1937/52035#prettyPhoto/0/

Here's a youtube "video" with Henry Hall and the sisters - with a few
photos of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNtBiV110tU
Kristjan