Few cities compare with New Orleans in treasuring homegrown musical legends, but until now, the City That Care Forgot had all but forgotten the Boswell Sisters, three young women who vaulted from uptown New Orleans to international fame. The Historic New Orleans Collection is proud to present Shout, Sister, Shout! The Boswell Sisters of New Orleans, an exhibition illuminating the lives, times, and sounds of these musical pioneers.
The Boswell Sisters were among the first stars of radio’s golden age, selling out shows internationally and recording with the biggest names of the 1920s and ’30s. Their innovative approach to jazz vocal harmony influenced musicians for decades, from direct successors such as the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald—both of whom openly cited the Boswells as a direct influence—to country-music queens the Judds.
Shout, Sister, Shout! features memorabilia documenting the Boswells’ upbringing in New Orleans, where they received formal lessons in classical music while thoroughly absorbing the sounds of the city’s jazz scene; images from their radio appearances; notes from fans and peers; and photographs of the women’s journey to stardom. The exhibition also includes audio tracks of the Boswell Sisters’ hits, such as “I’m Gonna Cry (Cryin’ Blues),” “Old Yazoo,” and “Heebie Jeebies.”
As steward of the Boswell Museum of Music Collection since 2011, The Historic New Orleans Collection welcomes you to discover (or rediscover) the fascinating lives and joyous sounds of this remarkable trio, one of the city’s most successful musical exports.
Click on the image below to listen to a sampling of the music of the Boswell Sisters.
