The Andrews Sisters the group was formed, and 12 when they won first prize at a talent contest at the local Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, where LaVerne played piano accompaniment for the silent film showings in exchange for free dancing lessons for herself and her sisters. Following the collapse of their father's Minneapolis restaurant, the sisters went on the road to support the family. They started their career as imitators of an earlier successful singing group, the Boswell Sisters, who were popular in the 1930s. After singing with various dance bands and touring in vaudeville with the likes of Leon Belasco (and his
The Boswell Sisters The Ditty Bops have covered Boswell Sisters songs in concert. Caffeine Trio from Brazil, also claims to have been influenced by them. There is also an Australian group, the Boswell Project, based in Adelaide, South Australia. London harmony trio, The Haywood Sisters, have also recorded some Boswell Sisters hits and are greatly influenced by their style. In 2001, "The Boswell Sisters", a major musical based on their lives, was produced at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California. The play starred Michelle Duffy, Elizabeth Ward Land, and Amy Pietz and was produced by the same team that produced "Forever