The Bell Sisters

The Life and Career of Cynthia and Kay Strother

Sources

  • Walter Smith at RecordFinders [re: copies of Bell Sisters recordings]
  • Times Square Records [re: copies of Bell Sisters recordings and sheet music for “If’n”]
  • Golden Oldies Records [re: copies of Bell Sisters recordings]
  • Kurt and Diane Nauck at Nauck’s Vintage Records [re: copies of Bell Sisters recordings on 78]
  • Morton Savada at Records Revisited (New York City, 212-695-7155) [re: copies of Bell Sisters recordings]
  • Ted Hering, KVIP Radio, Redding, California [re: CD recording of “Socko the Smallest Snowball / Barnyard Christmas”]
  • Jordan Young, California [re: copies of sheet music for “Socko the Smallest Snowball”]
  • Don Aston at AVPRO [re: DAT copies of (6) Bing Crosby radio shows from original radio transcription records]
  • Billboard Research, New York, New York [re: chart history of Bell Sisters’ recordings; also for label information on other artists performing “Bermuda”]
  • Basil Smith IMAGE and Tom Tierney at RCA / BMG Entertainment, New York, New York [re: RCA session dates, song authors, matrix numbers of Bell Sisters’ recordings for RCA] and verifying that the Bell Sisters’ master tapes are still safe and in good hands.
  • Dona Fraser and Jeff Walker at RCA Records [re: copies of Bell Sisters’ recording contracts and letter agreements with RCA]
  • Lindsey Little at BMI [re: registration information for all original Strother compositions, assistance in establishing Lowlights Publishing to manage Strother compositions]
  • International Movie Database [re: Cast and release information for “Those Redheads from Seattle” and “Cruisin’ Down the River”]
  • Paramount Pictures [re: VHS copy of “Those Redheads from Seattle”]
  • Columbia Pictures [re: VHS copy of “Cruisin’ Down the River”]
  • Library of Congress [re: information for film short “Les Brown Goes to Town”]
  • Lee Ann Plattner of NBC and Research Video [re: VHS copy of “The Dinah Shore Show”]
  • Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee, Universal City, California [re: VHS copy of “Cruisin’ Down the River”]
  • Bill Cotter, author of “The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History” [re: air date of Disney programs featuring Bell Sisters and Kay Bell and the Spacemen; VHS copy of Bell Sisters on Mickey Mouse Club (edited version)]. Mr. Cotter’s book is available at www.billcotter.com/tvbook.
  • Dave Smith at Walt Disney Archives [re: script pages of Bell Sisters’ performance on Mickey Mouse Club, copy of press release on “The Spacemen”, script pages of Kay’s appearance on “Meet Me at Disneyland”]
  • Julie Enzer, Executive Counsel for Disney [re: correcting and updating music cue sheets for Mickey Mouse Club episode featuring Strother compositions]
  • Mauro Bruno, telephone conversations [re: dates of recordings]
  • John Reynolds, telephone conversations [re: general history]
  • Cynthia, Sharon, Kay, Judy, Sharon, Paula, Alice and Rex Strother, personal and telephone conversations; private memorabilia, including articles, photographs, programs, videotape, audiovisual recordings (various media), demo recordings [re: general history]
  • Steve Lewis at Bing Crosby Internet Museum [re: Bing Crosby radio show dates and appearing guests] and for linking to this site.
  • Jim Smith at The Guy Mitchell Appreciation Society [re: video capture image from “Those Redheads from Seattle”] and for linking to this site.
  • Susan Calder at The Dick Haymes Society for linking to this site.
  • Boy Scouts of America [re: information about 1953 Scout Jamboree, photocopy of Souvenir Program and photograph of Bells performing.]
  • Annabella of Annabella’s HTML Help for her instant and painless assistance on proper HTML coding for this site.
  • Jim Hartley and his Real Audio Tutorial for a simple and complete tutorial (including freeware downloads) on how to encode and produce streaming Real Audio for this site. If you would like to hear other Real Audio oldies on the Internet, also check out Jim’s Web Radio Station.
  • Graeme Freeland at alt.rec.music.rock+pop+r&b.1950s and Patrick Gardner [re: information on Australian releases of Bell Sisters’ recordings, EMI 1952 Records Supplements, and detail on “Socko” / “Barnyard” releases]
  • “Fearless Fosdick” at alt.rec.music.rock+pop+r&b.1950s [re: cover recordings of Bermuda by various artists]
  • Charlie Barker at Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, Dave Siegel and “The AFRS-Jubilee Transcription Programs – an Exploratory Discography” (2 vol., Rainer E. Lotz and Elrich Neuert, English translation by Norbert Ruecker 1985, Frankfurt, Germany) [re: information about “Jubilee” radio program performances]. The “AFRS-Jubilee Transcriptions” by Rainer Lotz can be purchased at Birgit Lotz Verlag.
  • Bill Bragg and Yesterday USA Radio in Richmond, Texas [re: live radio interview of Cynthia on October 17, 1999] and for linking to this site.
  • Charles Jansen of Naples, Florida [re: VHS and Betamax copies of “Les Brown Goes to Town” and theatrical trailer to “Those Redheads from Seattle”]
  • Patrick Farrell [re: CD copy of various Bell Sister recordings from his outrageous collection of well cared-for 45s]. See his art by visiting Patrick Farrell Studio.
  • All-Music Guide [re: listings of “Bermuda” on CD]
  • Harvey Vigasin of Randolph, Massachusetts [re: cassette and CD copy of May 31, 1954 radio broadcast for New England Dairy & Food Council]
  • Michael Dolan, The Cutting Corp and the National Archives [re: cassette and CD copies of “Jubilee” and “Bob Hope Show” recordings]
  • Vincent J. Krepps at “The Graybeards” magazine for Korean War Veterans [re: posting a “looking for” notice and article on Bell Sisters to solicit memories]
  • The folks at the Donald O’Connor Website [re: date of Bells’ appearance on Colgate Comedy Hour with O’Connor and text of “Variety” review of show]
  • John Goldsmith at WGEL radio (101.7 FM, Greenville, Illinois) [re: phone interview with Cynthia, cassette copy of aired program]
  • Delilah Tayloe, curator of the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library in Bloomington, Missouri [re: copy of two December 1953 Pacific Stars and Stripes articles]
  • Paul Hansen of Sunhawk (Seattle, Washington) [re: JPEG images of Spike Jones Christmas EP cover and label, and “Barnyard Christmas” / “Socko the Smallest Snowball” 78 rpm promo labels.
  • Tom Blum (collector) and Tom Brown of First Generation Radio Archives [re: CD copies of “Stand By for Music” programs]
  • Probate Division of Superior Court of Orange County [re: copies of court documents filed for Cynthia and Kay as career minors under Coogan Law]
  • Bill Evans of Parsons Behle & Latimer for his legal assistance establishing Lowlights Publishing and handling royalty problems of “Bermuda” and “Little Boy Bullfighter”
  • Patricia Baughman, Music Division, Library of Congress [re: copies of copyrighted Strother compositions]
  • Bob Moke [re: MP3 of Crew-Cuts’ version of “Bermuda”, audio restoration services; details and history on numerous Bell Sisters’ recordings and all music-related knowledge, especially detail on “Other Releases” and history of each Bell Sister recording.]
  • Philip Chavin [re: details about Bell Sisters’ “Juke Box Jury” appearances]
  • Jim Simmons, Jr. [re: donation of “Rutza Rutza” sheet music to family archive]
  • Bill Shepard [re: scanned image of Viewmaster reel for “Those Redheads from Seattle”]
  • Jay Hickerson [re: vast knowledge of old-time radio]
  • Sara Fishko at WNYC radio (99.5 FM, New York, NY) [re: CD copy of aired “Brothers and Sisters” program]
  • Gratton Coffman [re: his photographs of Bells in Korea on 12/29/1953]
  • Rob Mascaro [re: VHS copy of “Operation Entertainment” (Reel 2)]
  • Alan Cooperman [re: VHS copy of Bob Hope Show, 4/26/1952]
  • Donald Foster [re: video capture of Bells Sisters on various TV shows and films]
  • Michele “Mick” Novak, DJ of “This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin’” at KFAI radio (St. Paul, MN) [re: information on CD and LP releases of the Tuffs’ “Surfer’s Stomp”; info on various other sister acts]
  • Babs DeLay, DJ of “Women, the Third Decade” at KRCL radio (90.9 FM, Salt Lake City, UT) [re: October 11, 2001 phone interview with Cynthia]
  • Brian Crabbe (Sydney, Australia) [re: copy of June Night sheet music and EMI Supplement record reviews]
  • Mike Edwards [re: MP3 of Roger Smith version of “Bermuda”]
  • All the veterans and fans who have contributed their appreciative words (and personal photos) on the “Memories” page
  • If you would like to know more about other “famous” Strothers, please check out The William Strother Society, Inc., the official web site for the Strother Family.

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