The Fontane Sisters
Encyclopedia
The Fontane Sisters were a trio (Bea, Geri and Marge Rosse) from New Milford
, New Jersey
.
ist brother Frank, under the name the Ross Trio (Rosse with the "e" omitted). The group auditioned for NBC
and was soon sent off to work in Cleveland. When they returned to New York in 1944, Frank was drafted into the Army; he was killed in action in World War II
. Geri, who had just finished school, took her brother's place, making it an all-girl trio.
for NBC, that "Supper Club" would be making cast changes; they were eager for a chance to join Como's show, which also meant being closer to their home. Beginning in the summer of 1948, they were featured on his radio
show and television
show known as The Chesterfield Supper Club and later (1950–1954) as The Perry Como Show. The trio also did appearances on Chesterfield Sound Off Time when the program originated from New York; however, the television show lasted only one season.
The street Fontane Dr in Cornwall, NY was named after the Fontane sisters
In 1949 they were signed by RCA Records
, and did some recordings as backup to Como. In 1951 they had a minor hit with "The Tennessee Waltz
", of which bigger selling recordings were made by Patti Page
and Les Paul and Mary Ford
.
In 1954 they switched to Randy Wood's Dot Records
, where they had 18 songs in the Billboard
Hot 100
, including ten in the Top 40. Their 1954 recording
, "Hearts of Stone
", sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
.
around 1961, when youngest sister Geri was expecting her daughter. The daughter was named after Geri, and as an adult she went by the name 'Geri Fontane Latchford' — 'Latchford' coming from her father's name, Al(bert) Latchford. Geri and Al had one daughter; neither Bea nor Marge had any children.
Marge Fontane felt that the trio did not want to continue the grind of tours and mixing with the newer members of the music scene. The sisters agreed that they did not want to be part of the evolving rock and roll
scene, and wanted private lives. Marge was married to Franklin Hobbs, who became a long-time on air personality at WCCO in Minneapolis-St. Paul. They met while the sisters were still working in Chicago for NBC. She remarried and became Marge Smith, the wife of an advertising executive. Only Marge left the area, relocating to Florida with her second husband. Bea became Mrs. E. Holmes Douglass in 1964.
In 1963, Dot Records did release one last album, Tips of my Fingers, and single ("Tips of My Fingers" / "Summertime Love") by The Fontane Sisters. But these recordings did not mark a return to performing for the trio, who remained retired despite having agreed to make the recordings for Dot.
reported that Geri Fontane Latchford had received royalties
due to her mother and two aunts. It was revealed in this same article that all three of The Fontane Sisters had died: Geri, on September 13, 1993, Bea, on March 25, 2002, and Marge, on December 3, 2003.
In 2001, RCA Victor released a compilation of recordings made by the Fontane Sisters and Perry Como, "Perry Como With The Fontane Sisters", containing many of the songs featured on the Como radio and television shows.
New Milford, New Jersey
New Milford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 16,341.New Milford was incorporated as a borough on March 11, 1922, from what remained of Palisades Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 18,...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Early years
Their mother, Louise Rosse, was both a soloist and the leader of the St. Joseph's Church choir in New Milford. Bea and Marge started out singing for local functions, doing so well, they were urged to audition in New York City. Originally they performed as a trio with their guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist brother Frank, under the name the Ross Trio (Rosse with the "e" omitted). The group auditioned for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and was soon sent off to work in Cleveland. When they returned to New York in 1944, Frank was drafted into the Army; he was killed in action in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Geri, who had just finished school, took her brother's place, making it an all-girl trio.
Success
The now all-female group chose the name of Fontaine from a great grandmother; they decided to drop the "i", making themselves the Fontane Sisters. The sisters worked on sustaining (non-sponsored) programs for NBC, meeting and working with Perry Como soon after he came to the network. Word reached the sisters, then in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for NBC, that "Supper Club" would be making cast changes; they were eager for a chance to join Como's show, which also meant being closer to their home. Beginning in the summer of 1948, they were featured on his radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show known as The Chesterfield Supper Club and later (1950–1954) as The Perry Como Show. The trio also did appearances on Chesterfield Sound Off Time when the program originated from New York; however, the television show lasted only one season.
The street Fontane Dr in Cornwall, NY was named after the Fontane sisters
In 1949 they were signed by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, and did some recordings as backup to Como. In 1951 they had a minor hit with "The Tennessee Waltz
The Tennessee Waltz
"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular/country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in December 1947 as a single by Cowboy Copas that same year...
", of which bigger selling recordings were made by Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
and Les Paul and Mary Ford
Les Paul and Mary Ford
Les Paul and Mary Ford were a popular 1950s husband-and-wife/group musical team in which Les Paul played the guitar and Mary Ford sang. In 1951 alone, they sold six million records....
.
In 1954 they switched to Randy Wood's Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
, where they had 18 songs in the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, including ten in the Top 40. Their 1954 recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, "Hearts of Stone
Hearts of Stone
"Hearts of Stone" is an American R&B song. It was written by Rudy Jackson, a member of the San Bernardino, California-based rhythm and blues vocal group the Jewels which first recorded it for the R&B label in 1954...
", sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
Retirement
The Fontane Sisters retired from show businessShow business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
around 1961, when youngest sister Geri was expecting her daughter. The daughter was named after Geri, and as an adult she went by the name 'Geri Fontane Latchford' — 'Latchford' coming from her father's name, Al(bert) Latchford. Geri and Al had one daughter; neither Bea nor Marge had any children.
Marge Fontane felt that the trio did not want to continue the grind of tours and mixing with the newer members of the music scene. The sisters agreed that they did not want to be part of the evolving rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
scene, and wanted private lives. Marge was married to Franklin Hobbs, who became a long-time on air personality at WCCO in Minneapolis-St. Paul. They met while the sisters were still working in Chicago for NBC. She remarried and became Marge Smith, the wife of an advertising executive. Only Marge left the area, relocating to Florida with her second husband. Bea became Mrs. E. Holmes Douglass in 1964.
In 1963, Dot Records did release one last album, Tips of my Fingers, and single ("Tips of My Fingers" / "Summertime Love") by The Fontane Sisters. But these recordings did not mark a return to performing for the trio, who remained retired despite having agreed to make the recordings for Dot.
Deaths
For the next 40 years, The Fontane Sisters remained mostly out of the public's eye. In 2004 an article in the New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported that Geri Fontane Latchford had received royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
due to her mother and two aunts. It was revealed in this same article that all three of The Fontane Sisters had died: Geri, on September 13, 1993, Bea, on March 25, 2002, and Marge, on December 3, 2003.
In 2001, RCA Victor released a compilation of recordings made by the Fontane Sisters and Perry Como, "Perry Como With The Fontane Sisters", containing many of the songs featured on the Como radio and television shows.
Hit Records
| Year | Single | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
||
| 1949 | "N'yot N'yow"(with Perry Como) | 20 |
| "A You're Adorable"(with Perry Como) | 1 | |
| "A Dreamer's Holiday"(with Perry Como) | 3 | |
| "I Wanna Go Home"(with Perry Como) | 18 | |
| 1950 | "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo"(with Perry Como) | 14 |
| "Hoop Dee Doo"(with Perry Como) | 1 | |
| "I Cross My Fingers"(with Perry Como) | 25 | |
| "You're Just In Love"(with Perry Como) | 5 | |
| 1951 | "Tennessee Waltz" | 20 |
| "Let Me In" | 24 | |
| "There's No Boat Like a Rowboat"(with Perry Como) | 20 | |
| "Castle Rock" | 27 | |
| "Rollin' Stone"(with Perry Como) | 24 | |
| "Cold Cold Heart" | 16 | |
| 1952 | "Noodlin' Rag"(with Perry Como) | 23 |
| "My Love and Devotion"(with Perry Como) | 22 | |
| "To Know You (Is To Love You)"(with Perry Como) | 19 | |
| 1954 | "Kissin' Bridge" | 22 |
| "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" | 18 | |
| "Hearts of Stone" | 1 | |
| 1955 | "Rock Love" | 13 |
| "Rollin' Stone" | 13 | |
| "Playmates" | flip | |
| "Seventeen" | 3 | |
| "Daddy-O" | 11 | |
| "Adorable" | 71 | |
| "Nuttin' for Christmas" | 36 | |
| 1956 | "Eddie My Love" | 11 |
| "I'm In Love Again" | 38 | |
| "Voices"(with Pat Boone) | 47 | |
| "Lonesome Lover Blues" | 93 | |
| "Please Don't Leave Me" | 55 | |
| "Still" | 86 | |
| "The Banana Boat Song" | 13 | |
| 1957 | "I'm Stickin' With You" | 72 |
| 1958 | "Chanson D'Amour" | 12 |
| "Jealous Heart" | 94 | |
Recordings
- "Tennessee WaltzThe Tennessee Waltz"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular/country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in December 1947 as a single by Cowboy Copas that same year...
" (1951) (bigger hits by Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
and Les Paul and Mary FordLes Paul and Mary FordLes Paul and Mary Ford were a popular 1950s husband-and-wife/group musical team in which Les Paul played the guitar and Mary Ford sang. In 1951 alone, they sold six million records....
) - "Happy Days and Lonely NightsHappy Days and Lonely NightsHappy Days and Lonely Nights is a torch song written by Billy Rose and Fred Fisher which Ruth Etting introduced in 1928. The song was successfully revived in the 1950s in the US by the Fontane Sisters and in the UK most successfully by Ruby Murray....
" (1954) - "Hearts Of StoneHearts of Stone"Hearts of Stone" is an American R&B song. It was written by Rudy Jackson, a member of the San Bernardino, California-based rhythm and blues vocal group the Jewels which first recorded it for the R&B label in 1954...
" (1954) (their first and biggest hit, originally recorded by Johnny Torrence and The Jewels) - "Adorable" (originally recorded by The Colts; a bigger hit by The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
) (1955) - "Nuttin' For ChristmasNuttin' For Christmas"Nuttin’ for Christmas" is a novelty Christmas song written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. It became a hit during the 1955 Christmas season when the song showed up on Billboard’s pop charts by a total of five different artists...
" (1955) (also recorded by Art MooneyArt MooneyArt Mooney was an American popular bandleader. His biggest hits were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face" in 1948 and "Nuttin' For Christmas," with Barry Gordon, in 1955...
, Barry GordonBarry GordonBarry Gordon is an American film, television and voice actor and political talk show host and producer. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995.-Biography:...
and Stan FrebergStan FrebergStanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
the same year) - "PlaymatesPlaymates (song)"Playmates" is a popular song ostensibly written by Saxie Dowell. The main theme was note-for-note plagiarized from the 1904 intermezzo "Iola" by Charles L...
" (1955) (originally recorded by Kay KyserKay KyserJames Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
in 1940) - "Daddy-ODaddy-ODaddy-O is a 1958 B-movie starring Dick Contino. It was directed by Lou Place and written by David Moessinger. The film is notable for its soundtrack as being the debut film score for composer John Williams...
" (1955) (originally recorded by "Mary Kath" known as Bonnie LouBonnie LouBonnie Lou is an American rock and roll and country music singer. During the mid-1950s, Bonnie Lou helped pave the way for future female artists as one of rock and roll's first female singers...
) - "Rock Love" (1955) (originally recorded by Eddie FontaineEddie FontaineEddie Fontaine was an American actor and singer, best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
) - "Rollin' StoneRollin' Stone"Rollin' Stone" is a blues song recorded by Muddy Waters in 1950. It is Waters' interpretation of "Catfish Blues", a traditional blues that dates back to 1920s Mississippi...
" (1955), (originally recorded by The Marigolds) - "Seventeen" (1955) (originally recorded by Boyd BennettBoyd BennettBoyd Bennett was an American rockabilly songwriter and singer.His two biggest hit singles, both written and performed by him, were "Seventeen" with his band, the Rockets ; and "My Boy, Flat Top" . "Seventeen" reached No. 16 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1955...
) - "Eddie My LoveEddie My Love"Eddie My Love" is a 1956 doo wop song which was written by Aaron Collins.Collins wrote the song for his sisters, Betty and Rosie, members of the group The Teen Queens...
" (1956) (a bigger hit for The ChordettesThe ChordettesThe Chordettes were a female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional popular music. The Chordettes were one of the longest lived vocal groups with beginnings in the mainstream pop and vocal harmonies of the 1940s and early 1950s...
, but originally recorded by The Teen QueensThe Teen QueensThe Teen Queens were an American musical group from the 1950s, most remembered for their hit single "Eddie My Love", which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1956....
) - "I'm In Love AgainI'm in Love AgainI'm In Love Again is the sixth solo album released by singer Patti LaBelle in late 1983. Featuring the hits "If Only You Knew" and "Love, Need and Want You", this album is credited with reviving the singer's career after years of chart struggles on both the pop and R&B charts.-History:Patti LaBelle...
" (1956), (originally recorded by Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
) - "Lonesome Lover Blues" (1956) (originally recorded Billy EckstineBilly EckstineWilliam Clarence Eckstine was an American singer of ballads and a bandleader of the swing era. Eckstine's smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big-band, then as the first romantic black male in popular...
in 1946) - "Doin' The Rock and Rolla" (1956) (a rewording of the Andrews Sisters, Rum & Coca-Cola)
- "Remember Me (I'm The One Who Loves You" (1956) – (Remake of the Stuart Hamblen c/w hit)
- "Please Don't Leave Me" (1956), (originally recorded by Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
) - "Still" (1956), (originally recorded by Lavern BakerLaVern BakerLaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois...
) - "Voices" (1956)
- "With A Little Bit Of LuckWith a Little Bit of Luck"With a Little Bit of Luck" is a popular song by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, written for the 1956 Broadway play My Fair Lady.It was sung by Stanley Holloway in both the original stage and film versions....
(1957)" (a bigger hit for Harry BelafonteHarry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
and The TarriersThe TarriersThe Tarriers were an American vocal group, specializing in folk music and folk-flavored popular music. Named after the folk song "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill", and founded in 1956 by Erik Darling, Alan Arkin, and Bob Carey, the group had two hit songs during 1956-57: "Cindy, Oh Cindy" and "The...
) - "I'm Stickin' With You" (1957) (originally recorded by Jimmy BowenJimmy BowenJimmy Bowen is an American record producer and former pop music performer.Bowen was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. He began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording...
in 1957. - "Jealous HeartJealous Heart"Jealous Heart" is a classic C&W song which has also been recorded by several Pop singers.-Early versions:The first recording of "Jealous Heart" was made in 1944 by its composer Jenny Lou Carson...
" (1958) (originally recorded by Tex RitterTex RitterWoodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...
in 1945) - "Chanson D'AmourChanson D'Amour"Chanson D'Amour" is a popular song written by Wayne Shanklin which was a Top Ten hit in 1958 for Art and Dotty Todd; a remake by the Manhattan Transfer was an international hit - #1 in the UK - in 1977....
" (1958) (bigger hit for Art and Dotty ToddArt and Dotty ToddArt and Dotty Todd were an American husband and wife singing duo who reached the Top Ten in the UK and the US with the respective hits "Broken Wings" and "Chanson D'Amour" ....
)
External links
- Video of Chesterfield Supper Club-November 27 1949-Fontane Sisters-Internet Archive
- Video of "Perry Como Show" December 24, 1952-Fontane Sisters-Internet Archive
- Video of "Perry Como Show" September 16, 1953-Fontane Sisters-Internet Archive
- Video of "Perry Como Show" 20 January 1954-Fontane Sisters-Internet Archive
- Video of 1954 "Perry Como Show"-Fontane Sisters-Internet Archive