Lennon Sisters: Same Song, Separate Voices

This is a lovely way To spend an evening Can't think of anything We'd rather do They made their debut as children, as a pioneering singing group on television where more than 30 million viewers tuned in to watch them every week. For more than six decades, they've entertained the world on stage and screen, across 21 albums and more than 400 songs, at the center of popular culture through tragedy and triumph, making history as the longest-performing sister act of all time. This is their story. This is their song.

I'm sitting on top Of the world Just rollin' along Just rollin' along I'm quittin' the blues of the world Just singin' a song Just singin' a song Glory, hallelujah I just phoned the parson Hey, Par, get ready to call Just like Humpty Dumpty I'm ready to fall I'm sittin' on top of the world Just rollin' along Just rollin' along I'm sittin' on top of the world On top of the world And I keep rollin' along And I keep singin' a happy song I'm quittin' the blues of the world The blues of the world And I keep rollin' along And just keep singin' a happy song I just told the parson You better get ready to call Just like Humpty Dumpty I'm gonna take a fall I'm sittin' on top of the world Just rollin' along Just rollin' along And as I'm sittin', I'm admittin' Here's where I belong Just sittin' on top of the world Singin' a song Singin' a song Singin' a song

Flourish, song ends

Applause

Say it's me that you adore For now and evermore That's all That's all You're hitting it! Oh! That was so much fun. A lot of people think of my sisters as still wearing, like, crinoline dresses and standing and just singing this perfect, sweet little harmony from "The Lawrence Welk Show" back in the '50s and '60s.

But tonight, you belong to me And people think of The Lennon Sisters as being that -- which they were at the time -- but they've made such a contribution to the musical world, and I'm so proud of them, and I want them to know how good they are, how great. My greatest wish is that people would appreciate them for their sound and their harmony and the people who they are now and for the wonderful love that they give to people, because it's real. It's very, very real. "L" is for the way you look at me "O" is for the only one I see "V" is very, very extraordinary "E" is even more than anyone that you adore And love is all that...

When I think of us performing for 65 years, it's absolutely unbelievable to me that we've been singing that many years. It's gone like that, and yet it's been a complete lifetime. Was made for... None of us ever really decided that we wanted a career in showbiz kind of thing.

It happened so that we could help with the family and so on, and we'd been given this gift. That was not something that we made up. We could sing, and so that's what we did. We're vocalizin' And it's not surprisin' "E" Each song we do We hope will bring some joy to you We're close, and I think we're proud of what we did together as sisters.

If I have to look back, I just say I'm very proud to have been part of a group like that. If you've got love, you'll make it And one day, you'll wedding-cake it Love was made for me and you It was just thrilling. It's still thrilling to sing with my sisters. There's just something -- you just go to this place where you just have this family blend, and there's just nothing like it.

"E," each one of you We wish there were a ton of you Yes, love, we want to give our love to you Love is more than just a game for two If you want a reason Love is good in any season Love was made for me and you L-U-V as you can plainly see Was made for me And you-u-u-u-u And you

Flourish, song ends

Cheers and applause

They're the perfect blend of beauty and musicality. They're very fine musicians separately and apart from one another, but when you bring them together, there's nothing quite like it. It's been pointed out to us that we're probably the only famous singing sisters who became popular off of television and not through our records. You know, I've watched you girls grow up with "Lawrence Welk." You did?

Yes. Now, you girls have been with him for a long time now. That's right. Since Christmas of 1955.

Lawrence Jr., my son, who is 15 years old, introduced me to The Lennon Sisters and would like to present them to you this evening, and I'm sure you will enjoy them. It was at that time that our sister "Dee Dee" went to school with Larry Welk Jr. And Larry called and said, "My dad's sick in bed with a cold, and he can't leave the house." He said, "I want you guys to come over and sing for him." So Dad and Mom and the four of us got in the car, and we went over and sang for Mr. Welk.

And it was like, "Oh, my gosh," and I remember I walked over to the piano and hit the note, the "C" note, and I came back. And we sang "He," which was a spiritual that had become popular by The McGuire Sisters. And he said, "Oh, I really love your singing. Would you appear on my Christmas Eve show?" And we said, "Oh, certainly." We have Diane, 16...

How do you do?...Peggy, 14... Hello....and Kathy, 12... Hello....and Janet, 9. How do you do?

Ladies and gentlemen, The Lennon Sisters. He can turn the tide And calm the angry sea He alone decides Who writes a symphony And so we're standing backstage, and the sponsor came up to us and said, "Now, girls, don't be nervous. There are only 30 million people watching you out there." And we just -- I mean, I'm sure our eyes got twice as big. ...lonely night He still finds the time You can see us keep darting to over here because Daddy was over there.

Daddy was over there. We'd say, "How are we doing?"

Laughter

And that was Christmas Eve, 1955, and the public reacted so quickly that we were on the show every Saturday night for 13 years. So I went from being 9 years old to, like, 23 or 24 and having children by the time we got out of the show. It's wonderful 's marvelous You should care For me 's awful nice Paradise It's what I love To see You've made My life so glamorous You can't blame me for feelin' amorous Oh, it's wonderful It's marvelous That you should care for me 's wonderful 's wonderful 's marvelous 's marvelous You should care You should care For me 's awful nice 's awful nice 's paradise 's paradise It's what I love It's what I love To see My dear It's four-leaf clover time From now on, my heart's workin' overtime Oh, 's wonderful It's marvelous That you should care so much for me For me

Flourish, song ends

Applause

It was beyond us what was actually happening. I mean, I just think we had sung at church and so we were singing at the studio and it wasn't -- you know, it wasn't a huge -- It wasn't that big a deal. The four of us had been singing at church. We had a church musical that we performed in.

Here's a picture we'd like you to see of our first public appearance in 1953. Oh, my gosh. Janet was only about 7.

Giggles

Remember Mom made those costumes for us all by herself? Yeah, they were really good. And one of the gentlemen in the audience, who happened to be the mayor of Santa Monica, asked Daddy if the four of us would sing at a luncheon for the Venice Lions Club. And he said, "We'll pay them $20," or whatever.

At the time, we were eight children in a two-bedroom house, the little girls in one room, the little boys in the other. My mom and dad slept on a couch that opened up in the living room, and my dad said, "If we could sing just for these little women's clubs, I could get make enough money to get some lumber, and I'll build a room on the back of the house for you girls," you know, a bed and a dresser and a bed and a dresser. So we started to sing at the local service clubs to see if we could build that dormitory. It was really that simple.

We weren't going out to do anything or be anybody. It just all fell into place. You can tell When you open the door You can tell if there's love In a home Every table and chair Seems to smile "Do come in, come and stay For a while" Being from Venice, California, we were always beach kids. It was never, "What do we do this weekend?" We just went to the beach.

We loved Venice, California. It was just a great little community. And our dad and Mom both graduated from Venice High School, and so they knew everybody. And

Chuckles

a lot of them were Lennons because my dad had so many brothers and sisters. We had, like, 70 first cousins. There was always somebody to do something with, somebody to sing with, someone to play with. Just a great family.

My mom and dad had a tremendous sense of humor, they were crazy people, and it was just wonderful. And we were happy to be there all the time. We didn't care if we never left Venice. That was where our real life was.

We were just working like the kids at the shoe store or the kids at the newspaper. We were just working at ABC. It must've been moonglow It's encore time, as you can see now, by the lovely little Lennon girls. I remember just being blown away by young girls just a little bit older than I was who were actually singing on television.

I still hear you sayin' When I think of Lawrence Welk and "The Lawrence Welk Show," immediately coming to mind is ABC Studios because that's where we spent most of our time. The ABC Studios at the time really were a big barn out in the middle of a dirt lot. At lunchtime, we would put light standards up, hang a net between them, and we'd play volleyball. And the crew was so good to us.

Everybody treated us with such respect and love because we were children. When we were there, that became our home because they were wonderful people, and we enjoyed being there. Getting to know you Getting to know all about you The exciting part of, as we were being on the show a little longer and a little longer -- pretty soon, we were on six months running -- we were asked to be on the Jack Benny "Shower of Stars." It was the very first television show that we did outside of "The Lawrence Welk Show." And then we were asked to be on "The Eddie Fischer Show," and he was just, oh, my gosh, incredible. Janet was so in love with him.

She thought she was gonna marry him. 'Course he was married to Debbie Reynolds, and then he married Elizabeth Taylor. I don't know why he did that. And then Perry Como asked us right away to come back and do his TV show.

We did Perry Como's show 10, 15 times. We would fly back to New York. He was just a terrific person. You know, it's been a long time since we worked together, hmm?

About 1965? We did his show so often that he actually asked us to be regulars. At the time, we felt so loyal to Mr. Welk and we lived in California and we didn't want to move to New York, so we had to turn that down, but we loved him very much.

And we did "Andy Williams Show" quite often. We did Andy's show. Row, row, row Way up the river, he would row, row, row A hug he'd give her, then he'd kiss her now and then She would tell him when He'd fool around and fool around And then he'd kiss again, and then he'd Row, row, row A little further, he would row, row, row, row, row Then he'd drop both his oars and take a few more encores And then he'd row Row some more When he tried it again, she said once more right then You'd better row Row, row

Flourish

Applause

Some of the opportunities allowed us to work with some incredible stars who knew who we were, and that was like, "What? You know who we are?" I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm I'm as jumpy as puppet on a string I'd say that I had spring fever But I know it isn't spring I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented Like a nightingale without a song to sing I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud Or a robin on the wing On a wonderful day like today I defy any cloud to appear in the sky Dare any raindrop to plop in my eye On a wonderful day like today On a wonderful day On a wonderful day Like today I liked everything they did. I was just delighted to have them on the show. I thought they were wonderful, and I loved their harmonies.

They were just great. Those were times when we realized a little bit of our popularity, but what a beautiful opportunity we were being able to experience. And we still felt like we were just the kids next door that happened to go on a job, and that's what we did. And then we'd come back and do "The Lawrence Welk Show." Being a teenager on "The Lawrence Welk Show," which was not a show that teenagers would necessarily watch on Saturday nights, but my friends watched it because I was on it.

Sometimes they would laugh about outfits that I would wear because sometimes I would have to wear things that were for much younger children, because they wanted to make us all the same. And I was teased a lot at school about that, but it didn't bother me because I knew my friends knew that's what I had to do. But it was hard being a teenager because we liked other kinds of music, too. We did like what we sang, but we liked other kinds, too, and we weren't allowed to do some of those.

And our brothers and sisters were on the show with us many, many times. We were always on the show at Christmas, and we always sang a big family number, but throughout the year, if they needed a little girl for any kind of a number, they would always call on me. It was the most wonderful thing to be able to have your special Saturday to go down to ABC Studios because you got to spend all day with the girls. After one of those Saturdays, I went back to my kindergarten, and they said, "Who did you see?" And so I was naming some of the people that were on the show every week, and they say, "Now, what about The Lennon Sisters?

Did you meet them?" And I said, "Oh, yeah, I did meet them!" That would be when I realized that they were something different than just big sisters. They actually were celebrities.

Drumroll

Ladies and gentlemen, The Lennon Sisters!

Applause

Look, look Look to the rainbow Follow it over the hill and stream Look, look Look to the rainbow Follow the fellow who follows a dream Follow the fellow, follow the fellow Follow the fellow Who follows A dream

Tempo quickens

If this isn't love This isn't love The whole world is crazy Whole world is crazy If this isn't love If this isn't love I'm daft as a daisy Daft as a daisy With moons all around And cows jumping over La, la, la, la La, la, la, la There's somethin' amiss And I'll eat my hat if this isn't love If this isn't love This isn't love Then winter is summer Winter is summer If this isn't love If this isn't love My heart needs a plumber Heart needs a plumber I'm swingin' on stars And ridin' on rainbows La, la, la, la La, la, la, la I'm burstin' with bliss And I'll kiss your hand if thi-i-i-s Isn't love Isn't love Isn't love Isn't lo-o-o-ve

Cheers and applause

Many people have asked us how we first started singing in harmony, and I guess it was when Daddy and three of his brothers sang as a quarter called The Lennon Brothers. We used to love to listen to them when they'd rehearse in our home. Someday, you'll make... Our dad and his brothers sang in the late '30s and early '40s.

They sang with the Freddy Martin Orchestra. And Paul Whiteman. They would come to our home and rehearse, and we were really little, but we would listen to them rehearse because they sounded so great. And they would go away, and they would know their arrangements and so would we.

Giggles

So that's kind of how we really learned -- I'm doing My Christmas dreaming A little early Yeah. So we would imitate them as little kids and start doing harmony parts. It was usually Dee Dee would sing the lead with -- Janet would sing the lead when she was a little girl with her. Peggy was the high, and I was the low down below -- very plain, very simple.

But then Daddy took the harmonies that we could sing, and he said the most important thing to do is to sing the song like the writer wanted to hear it, melding your voices together so they sounded like one voice, the phrasing and diction, and you sing the song with your heart. He taught, I think, all of us to love the feeling in music. And then we got into growing. As Janet grew, we grew.

The thrill of the thought That you might give a thought to my plea Casts a spell over me Yet I say to myself "Get ahold of yourself Can't you see that this never can be?" Never can be You go to my head With a smile that makes my temperature rise Like a summer with a thousand Julys You intoxicate my soul With your eyes Though I'm certain that this heart of mine Hasn't a ghost of a chance In this crazy romance You go to my head You go to my head You go to my Head

Applause

So if you're lookin' to find love You can share All you've got to do is hold him And kiss him And love him And show him that you care

Vocalizing

We love the girls groups -- The Ronettes and The Chiffons and The Shirelles and all their great music, and we sang on "The Lawrence Welk Show." Every once in awhile, we'd go to Mr. Welk, and we'd say, "Mr. Welk, do you think maybe next week we could just do a little bit of a Ronettes song?" And he always said the same thing, like, "Girls, you know our audience would not go for this." But once in awhile, we would try and we'd go to like... I know somethin' about love And then he'd say, "I don't think so.

Do you think the ladies could hum that tune leaving their kitchen?" And we'd go... "Never thought about it."

Laughs

Guess not. All family groups, they grow up, you know, and as you grow up, you become more mature and you change in your style a little bit. You're less juvenile and more adult. We wanted to explore how far we could go in music to really become a more sophisticated group, and one of the first things we did was on "The Jerry Lewis Show," and we did -- Sunny

Laughs

Yesterday, my life was filled with rain Sunny You smiled at me and really eased the pain Oh, the dark days are gone, and the bright days are here My sunny one shines so sincere Oh, Sunny, one so true I love you Sunny Sunny Thank you for the sunshine bouquet Sunny Sunny Thank you for the love you brought my way You gave to me your all and all Now I feel 10 feet tall Oh, Sunny Sunny Yesterday, my life was filled with rain Sunny You smiled at me and really eased the pain Oh, the dark days are gone, and the bright days are here My sunny one shines so sincere Oh, Sunny Sunny, Sunny I love you-u-u I love you-u-u-u

Flourish, song ends

Cheers and applause

After doing it, Mr. Welk called us in the following week. "Did you enjoy doing the show?" "Yes, yes." He goes, "Well, my maintenance man from the building saw the show and told me your skirts were very short -- too short." And then we want to "Sunny," he -- "Those songs aren't allowed on my show." We wanted to sing more sophisticated songs and dress a little differently. We were all married, had children.

This is little John or Kathy -- or maybe John and Kathy.

Laughter

And our families were getting bigger, and we were making just union scale, which, at that time, take-home pay was around $180 a week, and we had growing families. And we went to Mr. Welk to see if we could possibly have a raise. And he said, "It's just not my policy, you know, because if I paid you double scale, I'd have to pay everybody else double scale." It hurt us bad at the time.

ABC Studios had asked us to do our own show, but we didn't really want to leave. We loved everybody. They were our family. And then there was agreement made that we would do the show once a month and allow us to do other shows, which we did, and we did a lot of traveling.

We would work only three days somewhere and make the money we could make in four months with Mr. Welk, and, that way, we wouldn't have to leave our kids. And then, when we did start doing that and going to Las Vegas, we could take our children with us, and it was an experience for our children, too.

Applause

Come Saturday morning I'm goin' away with my friend We'll Saturday-spend till the end of the day-y And then, one night, we were working in California, and at the intermission, I called Mr. Welk to see what song we were going to be singing the next day on his show. His director got on the phone and said, "Well, we won't be using you anymore." And I said, "Well, thank you very much," and I said thank you, and then I went and told the girls. I said that, "There is no more."

Scoffs

"Wait what. That's it?" And that was it. We were heartbroken of course, and we didn't want to leave. It was just like I -- Ugh.

And it's business, we know that. We're big girls, and that's what happens, but it was a real surprise and a shock to us. It was really hard. Come Saturday morning Come Saturday morning I'm goin' away with my friend We'll Saturday-laugh more than half of the day We parted ways, we were always friends and always friendly.

We miss the band and we miss being there every week after 13 years. No one was mad at anybody. It just happened, and it was time. And then we'll move on Then we'll move on But we'll remember We will remember Long after Saturday's go-o-ne Come Saturday morning Come Saturday mo-o-rning Oh, we will remember Yes, we will remember Oh, we will remember Long after Saturday's gone Come Saturday Morning

Cheers and applause

The worst thing you can be is defined and stereotyped by something, and "Lawrence Welk," as successful as it was, was quite stereotypical. And the ladies had so much more talent than they were able to show by being on that show, and if you're a creative person, you don't want to be stymied. You want to be freed up to grow and to create. Wait a minute!

Stop the music! Stop the music!

Music stops, laughter

Why, Jimmy, we're so happy to be here with you, and I can see it's gonna be an awful lot of fun. You...bet it is.

Laughter

At the time, we were working with Jimmy in Vegas. Then ABC said, "We would love to give you a chance to do a series, but we would like you to do it with Jimmy Durante," because that coupling was so wonderful. You don't have to look any further. Durante's your man!

Piano chord strikes

Why, Jimmy, you're sensational What are we waitin' for? Let's go! Now, it's a thrill Sing it! When a real piano player Sits down So they came up with "Jimmy Durante Presents The Lennon Sisters Hour." It was a tremendous expansion of what we could do, where you could fill a stage with dancing and singing and so on.

It was a a real teaching lesson. We got to sing what we wanted to sing. We were the ones who chose our songs, chose our costumes, and people worked with us. It was the idea of being your own person after all those years and doing what we wanted to do.

It was time. We had all these wonderful guest stars. As long as there's love in your heart to share Dear Bluesette, don't despair 'Cause some boy is longing just like you To find someone to be true to Two loving arms you can nestle in and stay Get set, Bluesette Get set for True love is comin' Your troubled heart soon will be hummin' Ooh, ooh, ooh Doo, doo, doo-o-o Doo, doo, doo Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Bluesette

Tempo changes

Pretty little Bluesette Mustn't be a mourner Haven't you heard the news yet? Love is 'round the corner Love wrapped in rainbows and tied with pink ribbon To make your next springtime your gold wedding-ring time So dry your eyes Don't you pout, don't you fret Thinkin' your love's comin', Bluesette

Scatting

Go, Maurice! Yeah!

Continues scatting

Scatting

Alright, Greg!

Continues scatting

Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo-o-o That song is there, it's not for you alone to share You don't have to care I say don't despair 'Cause some boy is longing just like you to Find a-someone to be true to There'll come a day when your love will come your way That magic day Hey, it may be today It may be today May just be today Got to be today It may be today Ah, yeah! It may be today

Flourish

Song ends

Cheers and applause

The first five shows that we did on our own show were absolutely stupendous, and I remember my dad was so proud. He just was busting his buttons. And he always was there for us, even after we started on our show and he wasn't managing us anymore. He was a teaching golf pro, but he was always there.

We just depended on him to make us do our best. So, at that time, we had had five shows under our belt, the last one being with the Osmonds and Andy Williams and Bob Hope. We had a scheduled two-week hiatus after that, and the next day, my dad went to work, and he was coming home from lunch, and one of our very, very deranged fans, who felt in his mind that he was married to my sister Peggy and that my dad -- in his mind, he felt my dad was keeping him from my sister Peggy -- approached Dad at the golf range and shot... and killed him.

There was no break today in the Sharon Tate murder case, but in the Los Angeles suburb of Venice, William Lennon, the 53-year-old father of the singing Lennon Sisters, was shot to death in the parking lot of a golf course. Witnesses say the gunman, who escaped in the car, argued with Lennon and then fired three shots into him. It was just like the most horrible nightmare. The police came and said, "Do you have idea who it could be?" And everybody was going, "No," and everybody loved Dad, you know?

And I think the first -- well, I know probably the only time in my whole life I ever swore, and I said, "It's that --" hmm, and I said his name. I said, "I'm sure that's he." And we had gotten letters from this man that had threatened to shoot Dad, shoot the President. It was just awful, except we had a mom that was just a rock. Her faith was everything to her, and she knew that Daddy was someplace watching over us, so we had that strength behind us and that power of her faith and our faith that she showed us.

She didn't just say it. She showed it. It was a very, very difficult time. The studio was closed, and we went back after hiatus.

We had to continue to work. And the very first show we had to do without Daddy. It's like we had never sung without him.

Voice breaking

We never had done anything that we didn't want him, after we sang, to say, "Great, Kathy, get in. Peggy, you're lazy-singing. Janet, you're too soft." And that's what we heard. And the song we sang was called "The Heather on the Hill." It was, "The mist of May is in the gloamin', and all the clouds are holding still.

If you're not there, I won't go roamin'... through the heather on the hill."

Sighs

And Dad wasn't there. We all walked to four different parts of the room and just sobbed because he wasn't there anymore. And we got through it because of the love we have for each other, the love we have for our family and Mom and the love we have for God. The mist of May is in the gloamin' Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh And all the clouds are holdin' still Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh So take my hand, and let's go roamin' Through the heather On the hill The mornin' dew is blinkin' yonder Is blinkin' yonder There's lazy music There's lazy music In the rill And all I want to do is wander Through the heather on the hill There may be other days as rich and rare There may be other springs as full and fair But they won't be the same They'll come and go For this I know That when the mist is in the gloamin' Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh And all the clouds are holdin' still If you're not there, I won't go roamin' Through the heather on the hill The heather The heather The heather The heather On the hill The heather On the hill

Cheers and applause

We had to get back up and work again, and it was tough.

Chuckles

It really was. From then on, anything we did, we offered it to Daddy, and every song we sing is his tone, his sound, and his feeling, and it's all joyous because it's his spirit within us. [ "So Nice (Summer Samba)" plays ] Someone to hold me tight That would be very nice Someone to love me right That would be very nice Someone to understand Each little dream in me Someone to take my hand To be a team with me So nice So nice Life would be so nice So nice If one day I'd find Ooh, ooh Someone who would take my hand and samba through life with me When we got our show, it gave us an opportunity to be ourselves, each one of us individually. Like, Peggy was wonderful as a comedian.

Do something, will you?! Take off your glasses.

Laughter

That's a little better. Now, go out there and kill 'em.

Cuban accent

Out of my way, big boy. She was so funny and so good, just naturally good at that. Janet was a wonderful dancer. [ Mid-tempo '60s-style music plays ] Janet was a natural dancer.

We loved to just put her in things where she could just go for it. Kathy, who is a marvelous torch singer, got to sing from "Mame," and she just was fabulous. Were the years a little fast? Was his world a little free?

Was there too much of a crowd? All too lush and loud And not enough of me? Though I'll ask myself myself my whole life long "What went wrong along the way?" Would I make the same mistakes If he walked into my life Today? Yes, I'll ask myself my whole life long "What went wrong along the way?" Would I make the same mistakes If he walked into my life Today?

Flourish, song ends

We did over a year of our shows, and that was just great, and when our show ended, Andy Williams asked us to be regulars on his television show. Ladies and gentlemen, The Lennon Sisters! Whoo!

Cheers and applause

Up-tempo music plays

Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba Bye-bye, love Bye-bye, happiness Hello, loneliness I think I'm gonna cry We did quite a few shows with Andy. I think we did 9 or 10 of them. And he said, "Would you girls consider coming to Las Vegas with me?" I asked them to come and work me with me at Caesars Palace. And at the time, we had all become very afraid of doing a live show, for fear that there was some crazy person out there, and Andy said, "No, you have to do it." They couldn't deny all of their fans from seeing them live.

They couldn't allow a crazy nut who killed their father to kill their whole being, their whole life. Andy talked us into it. He really got us to go back on the road. Caesars Palace, that was top of the line, and to go and have this fabulous dressing room, to have these costumes that were made just for us, to sing the songs we wanted to sing, it was a whole different experience.

We did so well that he asked us and we worked with him for 10 years in Las Vegas. [ "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" plays ] He puts the boys to sleep with boogie every night He wakes 'em in the same way in the early bright They clap their hands and stamp their feet Because they know how it goes when someone gives him a beat Whoa, whoa, he wakes 'em up when he plays reveille Boogie woogie bugle boy in Company B A root, a toot, a toodli-a-da-toot-toot-toot Oh, he's blowin' eight to the bar Can't blow a note if a bass and guitar isn't Whoa, with him And the company jumps when he plays reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

Flourish, song ends

Cheers and applause

And it was really fun for us, such a departure for The Lennon Sisters. That was a huge growing experience. It was an incredible transition for us that made us express ourselves as women and adults. I don't think anybody would think of The Lennon Sisters as feminists, but you know what?

They were making a living doing what they loved to do as women in a tough male-dominated business long before I was, long before many, many women were, so they were real heroes in that sense. They had a dream, and they were following it, and not at the expense of their femininity. [ "One Less Bell to Answer" plays ]

Applause

One less bell to answer One less egg to fry One less man to pick up after I should be happy But all I do is cry Cry, cry No more laughter I should be happy Oh, why did he go? But I only know that Ooh Since he left My life's so empty Though I try to forget It just can't be done Each time the doorbell rings I still run I still run I don't know how in the world To stop thinking of him 'Cause I still love him so I end each day the way I start out Crying my heart out Oh No more laughter One less bell to answer Doo, doo One less egg to fry One less man to pick up after No No more laughter No more love Since he went away Since he went away Away Since he went away One less bell to answer One less I should be happy Egg to fry I only know there is One less man To pick up after No more laughter No more love Since he went away Since he went away Since he went away All I do Is cry-y

Song ends

Cheers and applause

It was a busy time, and we continued to do every variety show that was out there, and we wrote our autobiography, which took us forever to write because all we wanted to do was revisit

Laughs

those years to write this autobiography. And then we were honored with our own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Oh, man, that was just so incredible, just to see our name there, and we just felt, "We've made it." And then we get a call from Larry Welk Jr. Once again, here's Larry coming into our life.

He says, "I'm gonna be having a show in Branson, Missouri," and we said, "What's a Branson?" Andy Williams had called and told us, and the Osmonds had called and told us, "You guys should be here. This is a wonderful place." And we said, "What could it hurt? We'll go there for a year." And here we are full circle. Isn't that amazing?

And we thought we would only be there a year, and it turned out we just finished our 25th season there. It was fun to see them grow, and they did, and they still are. Every year, Kathy would call me and say, "Oh, we're doing this," or, "We're singing this," and you could tell that they still had the passion for the live performance by how excited they got every year with their new show. They're great performers, whereas when they were very young, they just sort of stood and sang very pretty.

Now they move, and they've got all show business behind them now. There's a place for us A time and place for us Hold my hand, and we're halfway there Hold my hand, and I'll take you there Somehow Here we are now with Dee Dee and Peggy retiring, and now our younger sister Mimi's singing with us, who had sung with us through the years when the girls were pregnant. We would Mimi call Mimi up. "Okay, what costume do I fit in?

Okay, what can I do?" I've gotten to know my sisters so much better throughout the years through working with them. It's so amazing to be a part of this and to be able to share with them in this and be a part of that unit now. It's such a special blessing in my life.

Sustaining note

Cheers and applause

We used to always say that Mom and Dad had one heart and then just gave us each a part of that one heart because it's all one, and it just so happened in our career -- to Mimi to step in it's like, "Hey." I think our sisterhood is as close as as our harmony is. Yeah, I agree with you. If only one of them had accomplished the kind of success they did, it would be noteworthy and they'd have their place in history, but the fact that they did it together, four beautiful women, during a very tempestuous time in our country's history -- remained the ladies that they are, remained the women of faith that they are, remained true to their family values, remained dear friends to the friends they've had -- Forever The world may change, but they've never let the world change them. Hard to do.

No matter what happens, no matter what ever should happen in our lives, we are sisters, and we will always be sisters. We will always be there for each other. We're not alike, we are alike. Mm-hmm.

We're not alike, we are alike. And we did our best. In everything we did, we did our best. Because Daddy said, "That's the way you live.

You do everything the best." And -- I've made some wrong choices maybe, but we did our best. And he said, "You will leave people better off for having known you. That is your responsibility not just in your career -- in your life."

Vocalizing

There are places I'll remember All my life Though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some have gone And some remain All these places have their moments With lovers and friends I can still recall Some are dead, and some are living In my life I've loved them all But of all these friends and lovers There is no one Compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love As something new Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things That went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life I love you more Love you more Love you more Love your more There are places I remember

Cheers and applause

Slow big band music plays

May we wish you well May the good Lord bless you And may He also send you a happy day Good night.