Victory Sweethearts

Last updated
Victory Sweethearts
Origin Midwestern United States
Genres Swing
Years active1940s

The Victory Sweethearts was an American all-female swing big band founded in 1938. After the United States entered World War II, Victory Sweethearts toured the US appearing at USO events and military bases in support of the troops. [1] The band was featured on national radio broadcasts. [2] Their repertoire included numbers featuring instrumental soloists, complete arrangements for the entire ensemble, and novelties. [3] [4]

Contents

The Victory Sweethearts were founded by Freddie Shaffer, a musician from Frankfort, Indiana who began performing as an all-girl band with 15 girls and was the leader. [5] The group name was inspired by the band members' deployed fiancés and the girls' desire to build morale and contribute to the victory effort. [6] [7]

Ruth Mary Mack played drums and was known as the female Gene Krupa. [8] Pat Wolff wrote "I Ran Away With An All-Girl Band" a book about her time in the girls' band. [9] Arthella Louise "Artie" Phelps went by the stage name "Louise Lust" and would dedicate songs on air to her then-fiancé, Ray. [2]

The Victory Sweethearts played at venues including Hotel Statler, Buffalo, Castle Farm, Cincinnati; Vague Terrace, Pittsburgh; Hotel New Yorker, New York City, Palace Theatre, Cleveland; Circle Theatre, Indianapolis; and the Earle Theatre, Washington. [3] [10] [11] [12]

Band members

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Shaffer</span> Canadian musician

Paul Allen Wood Shaffer is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and musician who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015).

<i>Awakenings</i> 1990 American drama film by Penny Marshall

Awakenings is a 1990 American drama film directed by Penny Marshall. It is written by Steven Zaillian, who based his screenplay on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir Awakenings. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer, based on Sacks, who discovers the beneficial effects of the drug L-DOPA in 1969. He administers it to catatonic patients who survived the 1917–1928 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica. Leonard Lowe and the rest of the patients are awakened after decades and have to deal with a new life in a new time. Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson, John Heard, Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Stormare, and Max von Sydow also star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artie Shaw</span> American clarinetist and bandleader (1910–2004)

Artie Shaw was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doc Severinsen</span> American jazz trumpeter (born 1927)

Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Negulesco</span> Film director and screenwriter

Jean Negulesco was a Romanian-American film director and screenwriter. He first gained notice for his film noirs and later made such notable films as Johnny Belinda (1948), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Titanic (1953), and Three Coins in the Fountain (1954).

<i>The Women</i> (play) 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce

The Women is a 1936 American play, a comedy of manners by Clare Boothe Luce. The cast includes women only.

<i>Something Fresh</i> 1915 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Something Fresh is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published as "Something New" in the United States, by D. Appleton & Company on 3 September 1915. It was published in the United Kingdom as "Something Fresh" by Methuen & Co. on 16 September 1915. There are a number of differences between the American and British versions, but essentially, it is the same book. The novel introduces Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle, whose home and family reappear in many of Wodehouse's later short stories and novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles "Buddy" Rogers</span> American actor and jazz musician (1904–1999)

Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend".

"Sweetheart" is a song originally recorded by American singer Rainy Davis. It was written by Davis and Pete Warner, and produced with Dorothy Kessler. The track was released in 1986 by independent record label SuperTronics as a single from Davis's 1987 studio album Sweetheart. A freestyle, hip hop pop, and synth-funk song, "Sweetheart" appeared on R&B and dance music-based record charts in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Forrest</span> American singer

Helen Forrest was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era, thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Sullivan Theater</span> Television studio in Manhattan, New York

The Ed Sullivan Theater is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Streets, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1926 to 1927 as a Broadway theater, the Sullivan was developed by Arthur Hammerstein in memory of his father, Oscar Hammerstein I. The two-level theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp with over 1,500 seats, though the modern Ed Sullivan Theater was downsized to 370 seats by 2015. The neo-Gothic interior is a New York City landmark, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band</span> David Lettermans House band for 33 years

Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booth Theatre</span> Broadway theater in Manhattan, New York

The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance style and was built for the Shubert brothers. The venue was originally operated by Winthrop Ames, who named it for 19th-century American actor Edwin Booth. It has 800 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The facade and parts of the interior are New York City landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite Churchill</span> American actress

Marguerite Churchill was an American stage and film actress whose career lasted 30 years, from 1922 to 1952. She was John Wayne's first leading lady, in The Big Trail (1930).

<i>Follow the Boys</i> (1944 film) 1944 film

Follow the Boys also known as Three Cheers for the Boys is a 1944 musical film made by Universal Pictures during World War II as an all-star cast morale booster to entertain the troops abroad and the civilians at home. The film was directed by A. Edward "Eddie" Sutherland and produced by Charles K. Feldman. The movie stars George Raft and Vera Zorina and features Grace McDonald, Charles Grapewin, Regis Toomey and George Macready. At one point in the film, Orson Welles saws Marlene Dietrich in half during a magic show. W.C. Fields, in his first movie since 1941, performs a classic pool-playing presentation he first developed in vaudeville four decades earlier in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Victory Theater</span> Childrens theater in Manhattan, New York

The New Victory Theater is a theater at 209 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, near Times Square. Built in 1900 as the Republic Theatre, it was designed by Albert Westover and developed by Oscar Hammerstein I as a Broadway theater. The theater has been known by several names over the years, including the Belasco Theatre, Minsky's Burlesque, and the Victory Theatre. The theater is owned by the city and state governments of New York and leased to nonprofit New 42nd Street, which has operated the venue as a children's theater since 1995. The New Victory presents theater shows, dance shows, puppet shows, and other types of performance art shows from all around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musical short</span> Short films, often before the main feature

The musical short can be traced back to the earliest days of sound films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Monroe</span> American singer

Lucy Monroe was an American operatic soprano and dancer. She was noted for her performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States, which she performed for Presidents and at sporting and military events, which earned her the nickname of "The Star-Spangled Soprano".

Paul Wolff is an American electronics engineer and entrepreneur, who is a designer of professional audio recording equipment. He designs recording consoles including immersive and audio mixing equipment for professional recording. He has been associated with companies including Datatronix, API, Tonelux, and Fix Audio Designs. His customers include Jim Messina, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Startec Studios, among others.

Jane Sager (1914–2012) was an American big band trumpeter and bandleader. Throughout her career, she played in the bands of Rita Rio, Ada Leonard, Katherine Dunham, Charlie Barnet, and Johnny Richards.

References

  1. ↑ Briton, B (4 April 2004). "First Takes - Televised story on Victory Sweethearts". Indianapolis Star. p. 2. ProQuest   240676469 . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Arthella Louise "Artie" Phelps Obituary (1922 - 2008) Ventura County Star". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  3. 1 2 "Seniors' Show Brings Shaffer Girls Orchestra". Defiance Crescent News. 14 November 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Spotlight: Metro Edition". Orlando Sentiel. 18 Jul 1997. ProQuest   278979681 . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Dancing Tonight to Freddie Shaffer and his All Girl Orchestra". Coshocton Tribune. 15 June 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Policemen's Annual Ball At Elks Ballroom Tonight; Fine Orchestra, "Freddie Shaffer And His Victory Sweethearts"". Sandusky Register Star News. 27 Oct 1942. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Furnish Music At Police Ball". Sandusky Register Star News. 30 Sep 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Victory Sweethearts". Warren Times Mirror. 6 Nov 1945. p. 12. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  9. ↑ Wolff, Patricia (1999). I Ran Away With An All-Girl Band, My life on the road with the Victory Sweethearts. Stone Hut Printing. ISBN   0967573203.
  10. ↑ "All Girl Orchestra To Entertain At Lee". Petersburg Progress Index. 14 Jun 1953. p. 19. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Kilroy's Crystal Rock Park Presents Freddie Shaffer and His All-Girl Orchestra". Sandusky Register Star News. 28 Oct 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "On The Air Tonight". New Castle News. 4 Jun 1949. p. 15. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Ruth Tyler Christiansen". Wilks Funeral Home. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ↑ Wolff, Pat (7 Nov 1999). I Ran Away With An All-Girl Band, My life on the road with the Victory Sweethearts. ISBN   0967573203.
  15. ↑ Carlin, Ann (26 Jun 1965). "Local Artist Exhibits at City Library". Record Eagle. p. 7. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Marlene Miller | 1923 - 2016 | Obituary". Porter Funeral Homes. 17 Apr 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  17. ↑ Stewart, Z (14 May 1993). "50 years and still playing". Los Angeles Times [Valley Edition]. ProQuest   282072923 . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Lois A. Kuiper Obituary". ProQuest . 5 May 2022. ProQuest   383164827 . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.