The Shepherd Sisters

Hailing from Middletown, Ohio, the Shepherd Sisters formed a mid-1950s vocal ensemble built around four siblings—Martha, Gayle, Judy, and Mary Lou Shepherd. Their lone commercial highlight arrived in 1957 when the signature song “Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)” reached the Top 20. The act began as a trio of Martha, Gayle, and Mary Lou before Judy joined; prior to that expansion the three sisters had already performed on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Lance Records owner and producer Morty Craft presented them with the song, placing their version alongside simultaneous releases by Petula Clark, the Southlanders, and the Kaye Sisters and giving the group its solitary chart appearance on both sides of the Atlantic. Craft also arranged an introduction to disc jockey Alan Freed, which led to a slot on his America’s Greatest Teenage Recording Stars tour. After those experiences the sisters turned their attention to cabaret rather than further recordings.