The Bell Sisters were an American singing duo, popular in the 1950s, consisting of the sisters Cynthia and Kay Strother, who adopted their mother's maiden name of Bell.

History

Cynthia Sue Strother was born in

Harlan County, Kentucky Harlan County is a county located in southeastern Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Its county seat is Harlan, Kentucky, Harlan. It is classified as a moist county—one in which alcohol sale ...

, on October 4, 1935, and died of heart failure in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

on February 16, 2024, at the age of 88. Edith Kay Strother was born in

Cynthiana, Kentucky Cynthiana is a home rule-class city in Harrison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,402 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county. History The settlement developed on both sides of the South Fork of the Lick ...

, on March 16, 1940. The sisters were the daughters of Eugene Rex Strother (1908–1988) and Edith Marie Bell (1912–1992). They had four sisters and one brother. The duo was discovered and a week later signed by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

after appearing on October 31, 1951, on the local Los Angeles television program, "Peter Potter's Search for a Song," singing "

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

", which was written by Cynthia, who had appeared as a solo artist twice before on the program, singing other self-penned compositions. But it was on October 31, 1951, that Joe Happy Goday (1910–1997), owner and founder of music publisher Goday Music, Inc., took an interest in the song "Bermuda". The

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

recording of "Bermuda" for RCA peaked at Number 7 in 1952, having a three-month run on the Hit Parade, and eventually selling one million copies. It was followed up by a Number 10 hit for their cover version of " Wheel of Fortune" and a Number 19 hit with actor/singer Phil Harris of the song "Piece a'Puddin'". They appeared in two films, '' Those Redheads From Seattle'' and ''

Cruisin' Down the River ''Cruisin' Down the River'' is a 1953 American Technicolor musical film directed by Richard Quine. It stars Dick Haymes and Audrey Totter. The story is about a New York nightclub singer who inherits an old riverboat on the Chattahoochee River ...

'', both released in 1953. They released eleven records on the RCA Victor

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...

. In May 1952, they appeared in the annual police benefit along with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

, and

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

. They were on the

television program A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...

mes of Hope,

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, and

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

References

External links

Bell Sisters' dedicated website
* * Singers from Kentucky RCA Victor artists Family musical groups Musical duos from Kentucky American girl groups Traditional pop music singers Sibling musical duos Musical groups established in the 1950s American pop music duos {{US-singer-stub