Biography
The Merry Macs emerged as a prominent vocal harmony ensemble during the World War II era, coalescing around the McMichael brothers—Tedd, Judd, and Joe—who grew up in Minneapolis. From childhood the siblings performed together, occasionally joined by their mother on lead melodies. During the mid-1920s the trio ventured into radio broadcasts and traveled with bandleader Joe Haymes under the name the Personality Boys. By 1930 Cherry MacKay had joined as the fourth member, prompting the adoption of the Merry Macs moniker. Victor signed the quartet in 1932, issuing their first release, “In the Little White Church on the Hill.” Throughout the remainder of the decade the group cut only a modest number of sides—after Helen Carroll succeeded MacKay—and appeared on the road alongside orchestras such as Glenn Miller’s. Following Carroll’s departure in favor of Mary Lou Cook, the ensemble moved to Decca and scored its initial chart entry in 1939 with “Ta Hu Wa Nu Wa (Hawaiian War Chant).”
Their screen debut arrived in 1940 when they shared billing with Jack Benny in Love Thy Neighbor. The following year brought the group its own feature, San Antonio Rose, along with a supporting vocal role on Bing Crosby’s hit “Dolores” from the motion picture Las Vegas Nights. Cook exited at this juncture and was permanently replaced by Marjory Garland. With America’s entry into World War II, Joe McMichael entered military service, whereupon Lynn Allen filled the vacancy on a temporary basis. The Merry Macs’ fifth film outing, Ride ’Em Cowboy alongside Abbott & Costello, shaped their repertoire, yielding versions of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle” that became their strongest-selling records to date.
A notable rendition of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” reached the Top Ten in 1942, and 1944 marked the group’s first visit to number one with the novelty “Mairzy Doats,” which held the summit for five weeks. Three further Top Ten entries—“Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes,” “Sentimental Journey,” and “Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)”—followed during the mid-1940s. Joe McMichael’s death occurred around this period; Clive Erard stepped in briefly before Dick Baldwin assumed the spot. Although no additional chart success materialized after 1946, the Merry Macs sustained a touring schedule and recorded for Capitol and Era Records until their dissolution in 1964. A one-off reunion concert took place in 1968, and descendants of the original members have periodically performed under the Merry Macs name.
Their screen debut arrived in 1940 when they shared billing with Jack Benny in Love Thy Neighbor. The following year brought the group its own feature, San Antonio Rose, along with a supporting vocal role on Bing Crosby’s hit “Dolores” from the motion picture Las Vegas Nights. Cook exited at this juncture and was permanently replaced by Marjory Garland. With America’s entry into World War II, Joe McMichael entered military service, whereupon Lynn Allen filled the vacancy on a temporary basis. The Merry Macs’ fifth film outing, Ride ’Em Cowboy alongside Abbott & Costello, shaped their repertoire, yielding versions of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle” that became their strongest-selling records to date.
A notable rendition of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” reached the Top Ten in 1942, and 1944 marked the group’s first visit to number one with the novelty “Mairzy Doats,” which held the summit for five weeks. Three further Top Ten entries—“Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes,” “Sentimental Journey,” and “Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)”—followed during the mid-1940s. Joe McMichael’s death occurred around this period; Clive Erard stepped in briefly before Dick Baldwin assumed the spot. Although no additional chart success materialized after 1946, the Merry Macs sustained a touring schedule and recorded for Capitol and Era Records until their dissolution in 1964. A one-off reunion concert took place in 1968, and descendants of the original members have periodically performed under the Merry Macs name.
Albums
