The Ponce Sisters
Encyclopedia
The Ponce Sisters, Ethel (b. August 4, 1907; d. September 24, 1989) and Dorothea (a.k.a. 'Dobbie') (b. December 30, 1909; d. December 25, 2000, Cincinnati, Ohio
), were a popular singing sister duo in the mid-1920s and early 1930s. They were reportedly born in New York.
They were the daughters of composer, author, publisher, radio executive, and music entrepreneur
Phil Ponce (1886-1945), who became the first agent-manager for jazz legend Fats Waller
in 1932.
The duo sang on radio programs, including the Old Gold Paul Whiteman
Hour, sometimes with co-star Bing Crosby
, and with Fred Waring
's Pennsylvanians. The sisters performed in Manhattan theaters and toured the vaudeville
circuit. In 1930, they appeared in three short films produced by MGM Studios.
The sisters recorded from 1925 to 1932 for the Columbia
, Gennett
, Cameo
, Perfect
, and Edison
record labels. They recorded under the names Dorothea and Ethel Ponce and as The Ponce Sisters.
In 1935 the Ponce Sisters stopped performing as a duo following Ethel's marriage. Dorothea continued as a soloist on radio station WLW until 1937, when she married Ohio industrialist J. Richard Verkamp.
Although they were not jazz singers, they did record in 1932 with jazz legends Eddie Lang
(guitar), Jimmy Dorsey
(cornet), and Joe Venuti (violin). Ethel, in addition to singing, played piano on some recordings. During the sisters' 1930s NBC radio network broadcasts, Ethel often augmented their vocal duets with solo piano performances of popular tunes and serious works. She was also a respected composer (under the name Ethel Ponce-Fenley) of piano novelties, such as "Holiday," "Blue Haze," and "Happy Landing," as well as a writer of commercial jingles. In the 1950s she performed several of her compositions with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
. Ethel also wrote and performed jingles for such products as Bavarian Beer and the Yellow Pages
. The two sisters were longtime members of ASCAP.
MGM/United Artists
released a laser disc set of early "talkies" (sound films) entitled "Dawn Of Sound, Volume 3," which featured Vitaphone
shorts of the Ponce Sisters singing "Ten Little Miles From Town" and "Oh, You Have No Idea."
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
), were a popular singing sister duo in the mid-1920s and early 1930s. They were reportedly born in New York.
They were the daughters of composer, author, publisher, radio executive, and music entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Phil Ponce (1886-1945), who became the first agent-manager for jazz legend Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
in 1932.
The duo sang on radio programs, including the Old Gold Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
Hour, sometimes with co-star Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, and with Fred Waring
Fred Waring
Fredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
's Pennsylvanians. The sisters performed in Manhattan theaters and toured the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit. In 1930, they appeared in three short films produced by MGM Studios.
The sisters recorded from 1925 to 1932 for the Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Gennett
Gennett Records
Gennett was a United States based record label which flourished in the 1920s.-Label history:Gennett records was founded in Richmond, Indiana by the Starr Piano Company, and released its first records in October 1917. The company took its name from its top managers: Harry, Fred and Clarence Gennett....
, Cameo
Cameo Records
Cameo was a USA based budget record label, first flourishing in the 1920s, not connected with a later record label of the same name which was active in the 1950s and 1960s.The Cameo Record Company was based in Manhattan, New York...
, Perfect
Perfect Records
Perfect Records was a United States based record label of the 1920s and 1930s. It was a subsidiary of Pathé Records, producing standard lateral cut 78 rpm disc records for the US market....
, and Edison
Edison Records
Edison Records was one of the earliest record labels which pioneered recorded sound and was an important player in the early recording industry.- Early phonographs before commercial mass produced records :...
record labels. They recorded under the names Dorothea and Ethel Ponce and as The Ponce Sisters.
In 1935 the Ponce Sisters stopped performing as a duo following Ethel's marriage. Dorothea continued as a soloist on radio station WLW until 1937, when she married Ohio industrialist J. Richard Verkamp.
Although they were not jazz singers, they did record in 1932 with jazz legends Eddie Lang
Eddie Lang
Eddie Lang was an American jazz guitarist, regarded as the Father of Jazz Guitar. He played a Gibson L-4 and L-5 guitar, providing great influence for many guitarists, including Django Reinhardt.-Biography:...
(guitar), Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
(cornet), and Joe Venuti (violin). Ethel, in addition to singing, played piano on some recordings. During the sisters' 1930s NBC radio network broadcasts, Ethel often augmented their vocal duets with solo piano performances of popular tunes and serious works. She was also a respected composer (under the name Ethel Ponce-Fenley) of piano novelties, such as "Holiday," "Blue Haze," and "Happy Landing," as well as a writer of commercial jingles. In the 1950s she performed several of her compositions with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
. Ethel also wrote and performed jingles for such products as Bavarian Beer and the Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
. The two sisters were longtime members of ASCAP.
MGM/United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
released a laser disc set of early "talkies" (sound films) entitled "Dawn Of Sound, Volume 3," which featured Vitaphone
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film process used on feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects produced by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1930. Vitaphone was the last, but most successful, of the sound-on-disc processes...
shorts of the Ponce Sisters singing "Ten Little Miles From Town" and "Oh, You Have No Idea."