Three X Sisters

The Three X Sisters were an American all-girl harmony singing trio, initially known as The Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce. They were on stage singing together as early as 1922, and formed their trio in 1924, which was composed of Pearl Santos (née Hamilton) (1900-1978), Violet Hamilton (1908-1983) , and Jessie Fordyce (1905-2000).

The trio started out on Broadway and in vaudeville, with Helen Kane (aka Helen Schroeder), the original Boop-boop-a-Doop Girl. The trio did various song and dance acts, eventually settling for close harmony (associated with three-part harmony singing.) In 1925 they were touring in vaudeville, backed by the Raymond Fagan Orchestra. Pearl Hamilton met Ed Santos, who played trumpet with Raymond Fagan's band, and a year later they married in Rochester, New York. In 1926, the trio toured with another popular all-girl act, Jerry and her Baby Grands and they appeared together at the Palace Theater in New York. They also toured together in Canada.

Santos began her career on Broadway, as early as 1917, she was a high kick dancer, model, and had some walk-on or cameo parts in silent films with Paramount film studios; she linked up with her sister Violet, and friend Jessie Fordyce in 1921 with the 'All Jazz Revue' showcase.

The Hamilton Sisters and Fordyce started to gain success. During 1927, after departing from a "Stars of the Future" entertainment showcase, their management, fronted by Ed Wolfe, had them tour Europe, and specifically the UK. They travelled with New York's Savoy Orpheans musical unit. In the UK, they met up with Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.[1] Various recordings were made on HMV, Columbia, and RCA labels. Some popular tunes were the "Blue Room", "My Heart Stood Still" and "Someone to Watch Over Me".

Their real success started when the trio appeared in publicity photographs wearing eye masks, and capitilized on the new popularity of radio. A CBS sponsor hired the trio, and they took a new stage name, the Three X Sisters. In October 1932, the sisters made one record with the band of Isham Jones (another popular CBS artist) for RCA Victor. Also In 1932, they teamed up with Eddy Duchin and releasd at least one tune "The Clouds Will Soon Roll By" (as the Hamilton Sisters). They also sang, and did voice work for the popular Fleischer Cartoons (associated with Paramount Film Studio's).By 1933 they had a regular time-slot with NBC radio which remained until 1938. A Three X Sisters reunion in 1941 with Graham McNamee on his Behind the Mike program, reintroduced their harmony singing. In 1935 the Radio Guide magazine ran a full page story about Mary Small, radio singer, and Small said about her singing career ... "There are three lovely ladies to whom I owe a great deal. They are Vi and Pearl Hamilton, and Jessie Fordyce, whom you hear on the radio as the Three X Sisters. It was they who heard me in Baltimore when I was eleven years old and really got me started," she wrote. (October 5, 1935)

They became popular Palace Theater headliners, as well as performing regularly on vaudeville stages throughout the United States and Canada. Comparative female trios of the day were the Boswell Sisters, Pickens Sisters, and the Andrews Sisters.

References

  1. ^ Pictures account for this, as reproduced in Santos, Glenn (1998) In Sweet Harmony: The Three X Sisters, Apple Blossom Publishing, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-94889. The photograph session also included British bandleader Bert Ambrose of Ambrose & his Mayfair Orchestra.