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Formed: 1948 in Malden, MA
Disbanded: 1959
Group Members:
Ed Ames, Gene Ames, Joe Ames, Vic Ames
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The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, MA, where all four were born. The act consisted of Joe (b.5/3/21), Gene (b.2/13/23), Vic (b.5/20/25, d.1/23/78) and Eddie (b.7/9/27). Born into a non-professional but musical family, the boys were brought up on classical and operatic music. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine who read Shakespeare and semi-classics to their nine children from the time they were old enough to listen.
The brothers formed a quartet with a cousin Lennie, and had been touring Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops and were offered a job at the Foxs and Hounds nightclub, one of the fanciest clubs in Boston. This one week engagement turned into several months when the word got around of their appearance. At the time, they were going by the name of the Amory Brothers, a name taken from Vic's middle name and they were becoming quite popular in the area. It was at this time that Joe decided to rejoin the group. He said they were just having too much fun together for him to miss out. Taking their act to New York they got a job with bandleader Art Mooney. One day while at Leeds Publishing Company in search of a song called "Should I" that their mother had asked them to sing, Milt Gabler of Decca records heard them singing it and had them cut a few sides for Decca just before the ban which started in January, 1948. A year later when the ban was lifted, the Ames Brothers were the first artists to record for Coral Records. The name Amory was shortened to Ames. They were swept into national top billing with their first hit record, "Rag Mop," in January, 1950. Doing radio shows for free at times just for the experience, they later became regulars on such shows as The Arthur Godfrey Hour. One of the first acts to appear on the original Ed Sullivan Show when it was known as Toast of the Town, they made their debut with him when the show was telecast live from Wanamaker's Department Store.
Soon, they were the top paid group in nightclubs and supperclubs everywhere and their popularity on television was nationwide. In 1956 they starred in their own show, The Ames Brothers Show, which was seen on Friday nights. It was the first syndicated television show to be shown in foreign countries.
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Discography:
Rag Mop
2004 They, They, They Are the Ones
1986 Sweet and Swing
1964 For Sentimental Reasons
1964 Down Memory Lane with the Ames Brothers
1963 Knees Up, Mother Brown
1963 Hello Italy
1960 Hello, Amigos
1960 The Blend and the Beat
1959 Words and Music
1958 Destination Moon
1958 Smoochin' Time
1957 The Sounds of Christmas Harmony
1957 Love Serenade
1957 Sweet Seventeen
1957 There'll Always Be a Christmas
1956 Ames Brothers Concert
1956 The Ames Brothers
1956 The Ames Brothers with Hugo Winterhalter
1956 Love's Old Sweet Song
1955 Exactly Like You
1955 Four Brothers
1954 Favorite Songs
1954 It Must Be True
1952 Home on the Range
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