Thrasher Sisters with Gerald Wilson

[Jaffa]

I have always had a soft spot for the 4 tracks by Gerald Wilson's Big Band from 1945 with the Thrasher Sisters. These Exclusive-recordings have been re-issued on Classics some ten years ago. I still wonder who the Thrasher Sisters actually were: Besides a few snippets in Billboard-Magazine, I have never found any info at all.

Where were they from ? Really only 3 ? Any other recordings they made ?

Can anyone help ?

[paul secor]

Can't help you, but I wonder if they were any relation to Andrew and Gerhart Thrasher, members of the original Drifters.

[Jaffa]

Thanks, Paul, for your interesting lead. I don't know if there is a link to the Drifters but who knows ?

Billboard (October 31, 1942; easily searchable like all early Billboard-magazines through books.google) mentions a radio show from Cincinnati with "the Three Thrasher Sisters (Mary, Betty and Dolores), who swing out harmoniously on a sound arrangement of Idaho." I am quite sure these ARE the vocalists heard on the Wilson-recordings.

[jazztrain]

Jaffa:

I had a longer response partially drafted, but it disappeared. I'll try again, but more briefly.

Andrew and Gerhart Thrasher had performed and recorded as part of "The Thrasher Wonders" before Ahmet Ertegun joined them with Clyde McPhatter and others to form The Drifters. I found a few references on line to The Thrasher Wonders having been a family group and a few other references to a sister (Bernice) as being part of the group. I have been unable to find any connection between these Thrashers and the Thrasher Sisters.

Here's a link to a page that lists 8 radio apperances by The Thrasher Sisters between 1941 and 1946. The page has a copyright notation, so I'll just paste the link and some summary information rather than all the information itself: http://radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p3.cgi?ArtistName=The+Thrasher+Sisters&ArtistNumber=39805

- The Show That Jack Built. January 30, 1941. WLW. Cincinnati.

- The Fountain of Fun. October 11, 1942. WLW. Cincinnati.

- The Fountain of Fun. October 18, 1942. WLW. Cincinnati.

- The Fountain of Fun. October 25, 1942. WLW. Cincinnati.

- The Fountain of Fun. November 1, 1942. WLW. Cincinnati.

- The Kate Smith Hour. March 3, 1944. CBS with AFRS rebroadcast.

- Music Depreciation. February 4, 1945. Mutual network, KHJ, Los Angeles.

- Jubilee. February 1946. Program #178. AFRS.

It appears that the October 11, 1942 broadcast of "The Fountain of Fun" may be available for listening from a link that can be found here (see link for 11-23-2008 broadcast of "Same Time, Same Station" program): http://vintageradioplace.com/broadcast/arcsametime0811.html. It also appears to be available as a podcast from this page: http://www.podcastblaster.com/directory/podcast-16888.html.

Here's a link to radio listings showing an appearance by The Thrasher Sisters Trio at 10:30 am on May 14, 1945 on WMAQ (Chicago): http://jjonz.us/RadioLogs/pagesnfiles/logs_files_OCR/CDT/1940s/45-49/1945/%5bc%5d45-05-14-(Mon)ocr.pdf#search='wenrrhythm'

Here's a link to another page that appears to list The Thrasher Sisters as guest artists on the January 16, 1945 broadcast of "The Roy Rogers Show." http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Logs_txt/The%20Roy%20Rogers%20Show.txt

Here's a link to listings for the same program (see listing for WOR (New York) at 8:30 pm): http://jjonz.us/RadioLogs/pagesnfiles/logs_files_OCR/CDT/1940s/45-49/1945/%5bc%5d45-05-14-(Mon)ocr.pdf#search='wenrrhythm'

Page 321 of John Dunning's "On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio" shows The Thrasher Sisters (DeeDee, Mary, and Betty) as having been singers between 1944 and 1945 on "The Hoagy Carmichael Show." That show aired weekly on Mutual on Sundays at 8:30 (presumably PM).

The May 22, 1943 issue of Billboard (viewable via Google Books) contains the following: "SOPHIE TUCKER, stricken ill in her final weeks at Beverly Hills Country Club, Newport, Ky., last week, was replaced by the Thrasher Sisters, the WLW singing kiddies turning in a swell job." The Beverly Hills Country Club was in northern Kentucky, not far from Cincinnati (Ohio). My parents have told me about having seen shows there. Northern Kentucky at the time was "wide open" at the time, at least compared to Cincinnati. As I recall from the stories, Beverly Hills Country Club offered gambling in addition to food and entertainment.

There's a listing from 2007 for a property in Monterey Park, California showing Mary J. Thrasher (Co Trustee) and Thrasher Sisters (Trust) as owners. It may not be current.

Note also that these Trasher Sisters should obviously not be confused with "The Four Thrasher Sisters" (mentioned under Star Circuit in the May 1923 issue of "The Lyceum Magazine" (available for viewing via Google Books).

Edited December 28, 2009 by jazztrain

[Jaffa]

jazztrain

Thanks very much for your detailed reply; much appreciated and leading the way to further research ! Maybe even a photo will show up - that would be terrific !