The Dinning Sisters, comprising Lou, Jean and Ginger Dinning, were all born in the early 1920s in Kansas, and started singing together professionally in the late 1930s. From a family of nine children, all of whom sang harmony in church, the three sisters won amateur singing contests and got work on radio in Chicago in 1939.
They first gained national exposure on the WLS, Chicago and national NBC Blue Network radio show National Barn Dance. They made transcription recordings and “soundies” before a film appearance led to their being signed by the newly-founded Capitol label in 1943. Heralded as the label’s answer to the Andrews Sisters, they enjoyed their heyday during 1947 and ’48 when they had a run of four hits in the Billboard chart.
This 53-track set comprises selected A & B sides of their releases on the Capitol, Decca and Essex labels from these years, plus early transcription recordings. It features their hits My Adobe Hacienda, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now, I Beg Your Pardon and Buttons And Bows, and includes recordings with Tex Ritter, Bob Crosby, Art Van Damme and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
This 2CD collection offers a representative overview of their entire recording career before their style was largely overtaken by the advent of rock ‘n’ roll. The group disbanded in 1955, but the original three sisters reunited in 1987. They were a versatile harmony group, and this delightful compilation is an entertaining showcase for both their individual and collective talents.