Dandridge Sisters - The Starting of The Dandridge Sisters

The Starting of The Dandridge Sisters

With the forceful tutelage of Martha "Geneva" Williams and their mother Ruby Dandridge, Dorothy and Vivian started singing in public in 1934. After moving to Los Angeles, the Wonder Kids changed their stage name to the Dandridge Sisters with the addition of Etta Jones (born in 1919 and not to be confused with jazz singer Etta Jones born in 1928). Together the trio triumphed in an amateur competition on radio station KNX, Los Angeles, defeating twenty-five white contestants.

Two years later, the Dandridge Sisters were invited by promoter Joe Glazer to perform at New York's famed Cotton Club, a nightclub that featured black talent and catered to white audiences. The act was so successful that they were given a spot in the regular program, performing on the same bill as artists Cab Calloway and W. C. Handy. Another act regularly in the line-up was the dynamic dance duo of Fayard Nicholas & his younger brother Harold Nicholas, the Nicholas Brothers. The Dandridge Sisters were in England under the control of Geneva Williams from June to September 1939 in a show at The London Palladium topped by comedian Jack Durant and the Jack Harris Orchestra. They also did other dates around the UK and in Ireland and while in London they recorded the Charlie Shavers tune "Undecided" in July 1939.