Sixty-eight years have passed since The Lennon Sisters’ dynamic voices were discovered worldwide.
The sisters are still alive, between the ages of 67 and 83, married, and remain closer than ever. and Two of them have grandchildren, and three still perform today, amazing fans with their well-preserved voices.
Here is a look inside their lives today.
The Lennon Sisters are most likely America’s longest-standing singing girl group that emerged in the 1950s. The insanely talented group of sisters come from a Catholic musical family of eleven children and have been singing since childhood.
The sisters are Californians, born in Venice. Though not all eleven siblings had an affinity for the show business industry, the quartet of older sisters—Dianne (DeeDee), Peggy, Kathy, and Janet Lennon—always enjoyed harmonizing and singing.
Lawrence Welk Jr., the son of American artist and host Lawrence Welk, discovered the quartet. The eldest Lennon sister, Dianne, had gone to school with Welk Jr., and the pair had started dating.
One day after school, Welk Jr. brought the sisters home to his dad to perform for him. Welk Sr. was impressed by their talent, leading him to invite them to appear on his show, “The Lawrence Welk Show.”
In 1955, the band appeared on the show’s Christmas Eve TV broadcast, captivating the audience with their acapella rendition of “He.” The quartet quickly gained popularity and recognition for their musical prowess.
The girls were still young at the time they got their start in the industry. The youngest sisters, Kathy and Janet, recalled they were only twelve and nine, respectively.
The performers started as child stars, but their childhood was never compromised. One of the youngest of the group, Janet, reports that the sisters had a wonderful childhood they wouldn’t mind reliving the experiences again.
The Lennon Sisters were raised in a loving, stable, and secure environment that prioritized the importance of responsibilities and household duties. The second youngest sister of the group, Kathy, shared a glimpse into what their day-to-day would look like after they were done performing:
“Mom and Dad made it such a normal childhood even though we were doing…shows and a weekly television show every Saturday night for 13 years, and then our own shows. We would sing and then go home and do dishes and change younger siblings’ diapers and do our homework and go to regular school.”
The songstresses’ musical talents became hugely sought after, and in 1994, upon Welk Jr.’s request, the sisters began to feature as recurring acts in “The Lawrence Welk Show” and quickly became the program’s stars.
The show was taped in Branson, Missouri, where Welk Jr. had built a resort center and theater. The sisters continued performing even after they all got engaged and married.
