Mystery Date<\/a> comes to us from a lesser-known musical family, the Dinnings, whose musical legacy spans genres from jazz to country-western and bluegrass to rock\u2019n\u2019roll. It is also clear that their musical talent is accompanied by a dose of entrepreneurial spirit. Somehow, this subject piqued my interest, leading me to cobble together crumbs of information found on various web sites, so I cannot guarantee accuracy. Despite all I have found, I still know pretty much nothing about the Mystery Date herself, Sherry Dinning, and her song \u201cObion Bottom Land.\u201d Who knows, maybe a member of the family will find this post and give us a bit more detail, correct some errors or even send us some music? What I do know is that Sherry is a member of the Dinning family\u2026 have you never heard of them? Maybe you know some of their music, read on.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/\/www.singers.com\/group\/images\/dinning-sisters.jpg\")
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Our story begins on the Dinning family farm in Oklahoma. There were nine children, five girls and four boys (though how many were born in Oklahoma, I cannot say – I know that eventually the family ended up in Nashville). The children were named Donald, Vernon Kermit (\u201cAce\u201d), Myron Wade, Geraldine Marvis, Ella Lucille (\u201cLou,\u201d 1920-2000), twins Eugenia Doy (\u201cJean,\u201d 1924-2011) and Virginia (\u201cGinger,\u201d 1924 – 2013), Dolores Mae (\u201cTootsie\u201d) and Mark (actually named Max Edward, 1933-1986). The father, John Boyd, was forced to sell the farm, due to the Great Depression, but he found work as a salesman for Maytag and as a result ended up moving the family several times. Apparently Patti Page lived close by the family in OK and was an occasional babysitter.<\/p>\n
Having gained singing experience in their church choir, three of the sisters began to experiment with a tight three-part harmony style which they demonstrated to their mother, Bertha Ethel Riggs, boasting to her that they could sing like the Andrews Sisters. Thus, the elder sister, Lou, and her younger twin sisters, Jean and Ginger, began a singing trio called the Dinning Sisters. They entered singing contests and won, scored their own local radio show and toured with one \u201cHerbie Holmes Orchestra.\u201d\u00a0 In search of greater fame, they moved to a one-room apartment in Chicago by the late 30\u2019s, living with their brother\/chaperone\/manager Wade, where they were just about destitute until the sisters\u2019 musical talent, persistence and beauty led them to become a popular club act (\u201cChicago\u2019s highest paid\u201d), and regular guests on NBC radio shows made in Chicago.\u00a0 With this success, they decamped to Hollywood, where they appeared in several films.\u00a0 The sisters signed to Capitol Records as the label\u2019s answer to other groups such as their role models the Andrews Sisters, the Lennon Sisters and the McGuires.<\/p>\n
Here is their biggest hit, \u201cButtons and Bows,\u201d recorded in 1947, this song spent 16 weeks on the charts, reaching the #5 spot:<\/p>\n
![\"MysteryDateRevealed\"](\"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/MysteryDateRevealed-244x300.jpg\")
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