Sunday 29 September 2019

Lou Dinning born 29 September 1922


Lou Dinning (September 29, 1920 – April 28, 2000) was a member of the Dinning Sisters who were an American singing group, active from 1941 to 1955.

The trio consisted of Ella Lucille "Lou" Dinning, Jean Dinning (March 29, 1924 – February 22, 2011) and Virginia "Ginger" Dinning (March 29, 1924 – October 14, 2013). Jean and Ginger were twins.

Ginger, Jean and Lou Dinning
The sisters were born in Caldwell, Kansas, United States, and raised in Oklahoma From a family of nine children, all of whom sang harmony in church, and then spent their Sunday afternoons singing for fun. Three of the sisters, twins Jean and Ginger and sister Lou, started to win amateur singing contests before the age of ten, and later began to perform with older brother Ace's orchestra. In their teens, the girls had their own 15-minute local radio show, and later toured clubs and theatres in the Midwest with Herbie Holmes’ orchestra.

After moving to Chicago in 1939, they won a five-year contract with NBC, and during the early 40s were regulars on programmes such as the Bowman Musical Milkwagon, Gary Moore’s Club Matinee and the National Barn Dance, and headlined at venues such as the Chez Paree, the Chicago Theatre and the Latin Quarter and ultimately became the highest paid radio act in the Windy City.

A trip to Hollywood led to an appearance with Ozzie Nelson’s band in the movie Strictly In The Groove. They also provided vocals for two Walt Disney films, Fun And Fancy Free and Melody Time, in the latter of which they sang ‘Blame It On The Samba’, accompanied by organist Ethel Smith. 


                             

While on the west coast they signed for Capitol Records, and had several hits in the late 40s, including ‘My Adobe Haçienda’, ‘I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now’, ‘Beg Your Pardon’ and the million-seller ‘Buttons And Bows’ (1948), accompanied by accordionist Art Van Damme’s Quintet.They were to be Capitol's  answer to The Andrews Sisters, who recorded exclusively for 
Decca Records. Lucille (Lou) Dinning once said, "Let's face it, the Andrews Sisters were way ahead of us. We tried our darndest to be as commercial as they were, but weren't flashy enough. We were all kind of shy. We came from a farm in Oklahoma. We never took dancing lessons or anything."

The Dinnings, like The Andrews Sisters sang in fast-paced recordings such as the boogie-woogie influenced "Pig Foot Pete," as well as "Down in the Diving Bell," "The Hawaiian War Chant," and "They Just Chopped Down the Old Apple Tree," an "answer" song to "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me)". The Dinning sound could also be compared, especially in slower ballads, to the soft blend of The Lennon Sisters, who appeared in the 1950s on The Lawrence Welk Show.

The Dinning Sisters charted four hits during the 1940s, including two top 10 successes. The group received further exposure from their appearances in the films, That Texas Jamboree (1946) and Throw a Saddle on a Star (1946)

The group underwent a few line-up changes over the years (Lou was replaced in 1946 by Jayne Bundesen, who was in turn replaced by Tootsie Dinning in 1952), but their albums for Capitol sold consistently well, including their debut release Songs by the Dinning Sisters which held the top spot on the charts for 18 weeks. Marriages and children eventually demanded the act's attentions and they disbanded in 1954 but the family remained involved in music.

Lucille was married to composer and pop artist Don Robertson. She made several recordings for Capitol Records as Lou Dinning including duets with her husband Don including "The Happy Whistler" and "You're Free To Go" but divorced before her passing. Lou Dinning also made some solo records, including ‘The Little White Cloud That Cried’, ‘Trust In Me’, ‘Just Friends’ and ‘Nobody Else But Me’, with Paul Weston’s Orchestra. Jean Dinning co-composed the song, "Teen Angel", which became a No. 1 hit for her brother, Mark Dinning.

The Dinning Sisters briefly reunited in 1993 and recorded the spiritual album "Rhinestone Christian" with the Jordanaires.


Lou Dinning 1987

Ella Lucille Dinning Robertson died 28 April, 2000 (aged 79). She was buried in Orlinda Cemetery, Robertson County, Tennessee. 

 (Info compiled from various sources mainly Wikipedia & Oldies.com)

4 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “The Dinning Sisters feat. George Barnes on guitar - Back In Country Style” go here:

https://www.upload.ee/files/10535209/Dinnings_-_Country.rar.html

1. TURN YOUR RADIO ON
2. THANKS FOR THE BUGGY RIDE
3. YOU'LL BE SORRY
4. YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
5. FARTHER ALONG
6. TROUBLE IN MIND
7. GOSPEL CANNONBALL
8. BURY ME NOT ON THE LONE PRAIRIE
9. I'M SORRY NOW
10. I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE TONIGHT
11. LET'S DRAW STRAWS
12. I ONLY WANT A BUDDY NOT A SWEETHEART
13. THE LAST THING I WANT IS YOUR PITY
14. HOME ON THE RANGE
15. OH! MONAH
16. I CALLED BUT NOBODY ANSWERED
17. LOUISIANA HAYRIDE
18. RIDIN' DOWN THE CANYON
19. SAN ANTONIO ROSE
20. MORNING ON THE FARM
21. IN THE PINES
22. SWEETHEARTS OR STRANGERS
23. THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE
24. WHEN THE BLOOM IS ON THE SAGE
25. NO LETTER TODAY
26. TILL WE MEET AGAIN

Recorded Circa 1942 - Universal Recording Studio,Chicago on 16" Transcription Discs for Airpkau only and never Released Commercially until this Jasmine compilation..
Among the well-known songs covered are "Trouble In Mind" (an all-purpose Blues classic), "In The Pines" "You Are My Sunshine", "Home On The Range", "The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine" (no resemblance here to Laurel & Hardy’s well-known rendition), "Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie", and others which will ring varying chords of familiarity. The slight imperfections heard on a few tracks are far outweighed by their musical pleasure. The sympathetic accompanists are sadly not known, other than the distinctive guitar of busy session-man George Barnes on many titles like "Thanks For The Buggy Ride", "I’m Sorry Now", "Let’s Draw Straws", "Louisiana Hayride", etc.. (Jasmine notes)


For “The Dinning Sisters - Almost Sweet And Gentle” go here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/588ly6w6cyrwlzl/Dinnings.rar/file

Disc One

1. (HE'S JUST A) SENTIMENTAL GENTLEMAN FROM GEORGIA
2. BEG YOUR PARDON
3. HARLEM SANDMAN
4. BUTTONS AND BOWS
5. WHERE OR WHEN - version one
6. AUNT HAGAR'S CHILDREN BLUES
7. I LOVE MY LOVE
8. PLEASE DON'T TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE
9. BRAZIL
10. LOLITA LOPEZ
11. YOU'RE A CHARACTER, DEAR
12. LOVE ON A GREYHOUND BUS
13. MY ADOBE HACIENDA
14. SAN ANTONIO ROSE
15. OH MONAH
16. DO YOU LOVE ME?
17. FUN AND FANCY FREE
18. THE IGGITY SONG
19. THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM POLKA
20. WAVE TO ME MY LADY
21. YEARS AND YEARS AGO
22. MELANCHOLY
23. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT
24. IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

Disc Two

1. THEY JUST CHOPPED DOWN THE OLD APPLE TREE
2. A PRETTY GIRL MILKING HER COW
3. PIG FOOT PETE
4. DOWN IN THE DIVING BELL
5. BETTER NOT ROLL THOSE BLUE, BLUE EYES
6. HAWAIIAN WAR CHANT
7. CLANCY
8. HOLD EVERYTHING ('TIL I GET BACK TO YOU)
9. PRETTY LITTLE BUSYBODY
10. THREE-QUARTER BOOGIE
11. MOLLY MALONE
12. I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW
13. SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY
14. ONCE IN A WHILE
15. DROP ME A LINE
16. I DON'T KNOW WHY
17. I GET THE BLUES WHEN IT RAINS
18. LITTLE TE-LONG
19. SHINE ON HARVEST MOON
20. THE STATUE IN THE PARK
21. I GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU VERY WELL
22. THE LILAC TREE
23. THERE'S A RAINBOW 'ROUND MY SHOULDER
24. THE OLD MUSIC MASTER
25. WINTER WONDERLAND
26. WE'LL MEET AGAIN
27. WHERE OR WHEN - version two
28. AS TIME GOES BY


Will be posting 18 various solo and duet mp3's found on web not in top playlists.(soon)

boppinbob said...

Here are 18 recordings from 1950 to 1957 of Lou Dinning as solo artist also dueting with Tennessee Ernie Ford and also her then husband Don Robertson. Please note all taken from various sources, some direct from 78’s so quality will differ. As far as I know there is no full commercial compilation of Lou Dinnings recordings after she left the Dinning Sisters. (Thanks to all the original uploaders)

https://www.upload.ee/files/10535790/Lou_Dinning_-_Collected.rar.html

01 Nobody Else but Me - Paul Weston and his Orchestra (1950)
02 Charlie is My Darling - Russ Morgan And His Orchestra (1951)
03The Little White Cloud That Cried - Lou Dinning.
04 lou-dinning-blue-december.
05 A Mighty Pretty Waltz - Henri Rene and His Orchestra (1952)
06 Since You Went Away - Henri Rene and His Orchestra
07 I'll Still Love You - Lou Dinning - Don Roberson’s Orchestra
08 Trust in Me - Lou Dinning - Don Robertson's Orchestra
09 lou-dinning-hit-and-run-affair (with Tennessee Ernie Ford) (1954)
10 lou-dinning-i-d-rather-die-young (with Tennessee Ernie Ford)
11 lou-dinning-in-the-pines. (with Tennessee Ernie Ford)
12 lou-dinning-with-tennessee-ernie-ford-a-penny-a- hug (with Tennessee Ernie Ford)
13 lou-dinning-with-tennessee-ernie-ford-swingin-down the lane (with Tennessee Ernie Ford)
14 lou-dinning-with-tennessee-ernie-ford-texas-all my rambling days are done (with Tennessee Ernie Ford)
15 Im Counting on You (1956)
16 lou-dinning-you-re-free-to-go. (with Don Robertson)
17 Don Robertson Lou Dinning - Longing To Hold You Again (with Don Robertson) (1957)
18 Don Robertson Lou Dinning - So Long (with Don Robertson)

David Federman said...

This is MAJOR public service. I can't thank you enough, but believe me I'm trying to. I didn't know about Lou's solo sides. So this is like finding accidental treasure.

Jacdaw said...

Lou Dinning - what a lovely voice. Great list of songs.