The Brian Sisters in Later Life
After their breakup as a vocal trio, The Brian Sisters followed their own individual paths.So what did they do?
Betty
Betty had precipitated the breakup of the trio in 1945 by getting married, pregnant and unwell. She married Austrian-born Ernest Gutter (pronounced "Gooter") at the end of 1945 and they had two children. Betty divorced Ernest and brought up both her children.
In 1941, her senior school
year, Betty had stated that she plans to continue with motion picture
work after that diploma is safely in her hand. A
year earlier she had expressed the ambition to become a dress designer.In the event, after marriage, Betty Gutter studied at the University of Southern California and earned a teaching degree. She joined the staff of the Torrance Unified School District in 1957 and soon became Director of the Audio Visual Program at South Torrance High school.
Betty is fondly remembered by her pupils.
Smellycat2000 says: "To think Betty Brian (Gutter) was my Audio Video teacher at South Torrance High, California in the early 70's. She had so many stories. A great teacher and a great lady."
In 1966 the Torrance Press-Herald newspaper published a short article about Betty, which included a photograph of her looking at memorabilia from the early years. Some of the accompanying text was rather inventive, as is the way of reporters, so isn't reproduced here.
It is surprising how she is still so easily recognizable from the photo above; then the student, here the teacher.
Betty Gutter lives in Torrance, California (2011). She is 88 and sadly is in very poor health.
Betty has two children and two grandchildren.
Doris
Doris didn't give up her musical career so readily!
After her years
as one of the Brian Sisters, Doris, who had learned to read
music, joined up with the Jan Garber Orchestra in the vocal
group, the Twin
Tones, touring America.Doris says: "We opened at the Coconut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel with a show called A Salute to George Gershwin and played the big hotel rooms in LA and San Francisco, traveled, and finished with weeks at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. There were lots of other appearances along the way".
The photo is of the Twin Tones from when they joined the Jan Garber Orchestra in Los Angeles in March 1947. Top to bottom: Bob Parker, Bette Bligh, Doris Brian and Alan Copeland. Gwen was already married and didn't want to tour - Bette agreed to tour for about six months.
When the band tour ended in Los Angeles, Gwen replaced Bette and stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1948.
Even though Doris found the music rather 'corny' at times, it was nevertheless something at which she excelled.
The Twin Tones appear on at least two records with the Jan Garber Ochestra. They also broadcast with Jan Garber and his Orchestra on several Band Remotes from the Biltmore Hotel between 1947 and 1948.
In 1953 Doris moved to Utah, "fully intending to give up the music business". Instead, she joined with groups in Salt Lake City called "CustoMusic" and "Notable Ads," which produced radio and TV jingles.
Doris married Wayne Rounds. She graduated as a teacher and became Teacher of English in a junior high school, retiring after 22 years. She lives in Utah and has 3 sons, 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
As of 2011 Doris Rounds is 85 and remains in good health.
Gwen
Gwen
married James E Wardrobe in November 1946.Both Gwen and Doris were originally part of the Twin Tones, which was created by Alan Copeland. Alan knew of the Brian Sisters and asked the girls if they would join him in the new venture. Gwen and Doris sang when the group successfully auditioned for the Jan Garber Orchestra in early 1947.
But Gwen, recently married, naturally didn't want to join Doris in the tour of America that commenced in 1947.
After the Jan Garber Orchestra tour finished in Los Angeles, Gwen joined Doris in the Twin Tones, replacing Bette, and remained with them until the group disbanded in 1948.
The photo is the Twin Tones on September 14th 1947 at the Edgewater Beach Ballroom in San Francisco, where they sang with the Jan Garber Orchestra.
Left to Right: Alan Copeland, Gwen Brian Wardrobe, Doris Brian and Bob Parker.
There are at least two 78rpm gramophone records which include Doris and Gwen in the Twin Tones, singing with the Jan Garber Orchestra.
The first record is released, oddly, as the Art Kassel Orchestra, on which they sang Winter Wonderland. This is Mercury 5077, released in October 1947.
The second is Capitol 15088B. Nobody But You, with Jan Garber and his Orchestra, was released in May 1948. This has a very good 'modern' vocal arrangement by Alan Copeland and an excellent performance by the quartet, with two short solos by Gwen.
Gwen and Jim settled in Alhambra, California.
She didn't become the airplane mechanic that she had hankered after when at school in 1942, and was happy being a housewife and mother.
Gwen had two children and two grandchildren. Sadly, Steven died young; her daughter lives in California.
Sadly, Gwen succumbed to lung cancer and died aged 62 on Sept 16th 1990, in Alhambra.
Meda
Meda, Mother of the Brian Sisters, was in her
early fifties when the Brian Sisters trio disbanded - she
was disappointed at the break-up, but no doubt very happy
at how things had worked out for them.She obtained employment as a representative for a fine linens firm and retired in 1975.
Meda lived with Betty in later years and died aged 102 in 1995, outliving Gwen, her youngest daughter.
Final Words