The Beverley Sisters maintained an unbroken trio lineup across close to seven decades of performances, delivering close harmonies in a manner that echoed the Andrews Sisters. Born in Bethnal Green in East London, Joy arrived on May 5, 1929, while her younger twin sisters Babs (Babette) and Teddie both entered the world exactly three years later on May 5, 1932. Evacuated to the Midlands during World War II, the siblings responded to a call from the firm responsible for the Ovalteenies, the youthful promoters of the malt beverage Ovaltine who were best known for their memorable radio jingle. Seeking “Bonnie Babies” to advance the promotion, auditor Jock Ware inquired about their abilities, prompting the reply that they could sing a little.
Their aptitude became evident at once when the girls rendered one of the hymns learned at their Bethnal Green school in flawless three-part harmony, a natural outcome for such closely related siblings. Offered a contract valued at 15 Guineas (£15.75), a sum larger than any they had previously encountered, they benefited from Ware’s acquaintance with Cecil Madden, then second in command at the BBC’s wartime base in Alexandra Palace. This connection secured an invitation to an audition at the broadcaster’s temporary wartime site in Bedford. During that initial session the sisters unexpectedly encountered Glenn Miller, who happened to be recording in the same town. Captivated by the young vocalists, Miller extended an offer to supply any of his musicians for a properly accompanied session. Although the BBC had intended to present the trio on radio, producers were surprised when the girls listed several Glenn Miller bandmembers who had already consented to join them. In 1944 those musicians departed for Paris to rejoin their leader, yet Miller himself never reached the destination; his aircraft disappeared over the English Channel with all aboard.
Once hostilities ceased, the BBC resumed television transmissions from Alexandra Palace, and the Beverley Sisters quickly became popular attractions on the fledgling service, always performing live. Their mother continued to sew their stage attire amid the lingering clothing rationing that persisted well after the war. The Glenn Miller organization had not overlooked them either, resulting in an invitation to appear live on NBC with the ensemble providing accompaniment. The entire family, parents included, relocated temporarily to New York before returning to London so the sisters could headline at the Bagatelle. There they attracted the attention of Vic Parnell, who secured them a booking at the London Palladium alongside Gracie Fields. After contracts were finalized, however, Fields insisted the trio must not share the bill, and no further reason was ever supplied. The next year brought a contrasting experience when Danny Kaye topped the Palladium bill and expressed no hesitation about appearing with the singing sisters. Buoyed by that success, the BBC awarded the Beverley Sisters their own television program, launching the series Three Little Girls on View in which they performed current popular songs. The program proved sufficiently popular that it was retitled Those Beverley Sisters the following year and continued for seven seasons.
Although they never regarded themselves primarily as recording artists and favored live theater work, the sisters nevertheless made several discs at Abbey Road Studios. Their first chart entry was a harmonized arrangement of the Christmas song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” which climbed to number six, just behind Jimmy Boyd’s American version. Most of their successes appeared near the holiday season and included the singles “Little Drummer Boy” and “Little Donkey,” along with the 1960 EP The Bevs for Christmas, which registered on the separate EP chart. Advertisers frequently enlisted them for jingles throughout the 1950s. Among their admirers was England football captain Billy Wright; Joy soon fell in love with him and the couple married shortly after meeting. Teddie likewise wed a sportsman, British water-skiing champion Peter Felix. While performing in Blackpool, the trio caught the ear of Irving Berlin, who composed the song “Sisters” with them specifically in mind. Although they appreciated the number, they initially hesitated to record it for fear of seeming self-important, yet they eventually consented; the track never became a hit but served as their signature piece thereafter.
During the 1960s and 1970s, now mothers to five children between them, the sisters accepted only engagements within Greater London so they could remain close to home. In the 1980s their offspring, who had inherited the family aptitude for harmony, began performing under the name the Foxes to avoid trading on the Beverley Sisters identity. One evening at the London Hippodrome, where the Foxes were appearing, Peter Stringfellow urged the mothers, then largely retired, to join them onstage. Although the venue’s amplified sound and laser effects lay far from their usual milieu, they agreed. The enthusiastic response prompted two fresh chapters: appearances for service personnel stationed overseas as a nostalgia act and performances on the gay club circuit as a camp attraction, even extending to a dance remix of their song “Sisters.” The sisters remained active well into the twenty-first century, performing for the Queen during the 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations. They also joined Max Bygraves for a ten-date tour recreating the 1952 Royal Variety Performance in which they had first shared a stage. Further commemorations included participation in the 2004 D-Day 60th-anniversary events, and in January 2006 all three received MBEs in the New Year’s honours list.
