Have you ever heard of the Boswell Sisters? They were a sensation in the 1930s, bringing the popularity of vocal groups into the mainstream.
As jazz took hold in the 20s, there was a dip in the popularity of vocal groups, but waiting in the wings were The Boswell Sisters, a group who changed the face of modern music in the 30s after they emerged from the vaudeville houses of New Orleans. They were true innovators and can easily claim to be one of the all-time greatest jazz vocal groups.
The sisters were talented musicians. Martha played piano; Vet played violin, banjo and guitar; and Connee (who had been left paralysed from the waist down by a childhood accident, and always performed sitting down) played cello, saxophone and guitar. The turning point in their career came when a radio station gave them a daily singing programme.
The Andrews Sisters acknowledged that the Boswell Sisters opened doors for them. Ella Fitzgerald cited Connee Boswell as her inspiration. Read about them, and quite a few other vocal groups that set the stage for the music we listen to today, in a historical overview of vocal groups. Yes, there are videos. -via Everlasting Blort