Patricia Marie Andrews, born on February 16, 1918, in Mound, Minnesota, was the daughter of Peter Andreos, a Greek Catholic immigrant, and Olga Sollie, a Lutheran from Norway. Her parents ran a Greek café, a pure food café, in Minneapolis, located adjacent to the Orpheum Theater. Patricia had two sisters, Lavern Sophie, born on July 6, 1911, and Maxene Angelyn, born on January 3, 1916.
The sisters started their entertainment career at a young age, with Maxene beginning her radio broadcasts at the age of four. By the time Patricia was six, she was entertaining at veterans hospitals, for the Mayor of Minneapolis, and at Daughters of American Revolution luncheons. Lavern started the trio of sisters, and they appeared in kiddie revues on local radio stations and at the Orpheum in their hometown of Minneapolis.
They were discovered by Larry Rich, who offered them a job with his traveling revue. Patty was only ten at the time. The sisters began their career in New York City with Jack Belasco's orchestra and later with Ted Mack, making the Vaudeville circuit. In 1937, they were heard by recording executive Dave Kapp and began a long association with a string of hits.
The group broke up in 1953, with Lavern going to New York to study dramatics. Lavern became a career housewife, and Patty stayed in show business as a single. In 1956, they regrouped and sang in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel, along with a host of TV offers and a new Capitol recording contract.
Their first major hit was "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon", which was very well liked by Nazi Germany until the discovery that the songwriters were Jewish. Other top hits included "Don't Fence Me In", "Apple Blossom Time", "Rum and Coca Cola", and "I Can Dream, Can't I?", in 1937.
