[1] The group was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1936 as a foursome, under the name Three Hits and a Miss, the members being Martha Tilton (1915-2006), Vince Degen, Marvin Bailey and Bill Seckler.
Members came and went, particularly due to wartime service, and included at various times Pauline Byrns (1917-1990), Howard Hudson, Tony Paris, Marvin Bailey, Jerry Preshaw, Lee Gotch, and Mack McLean.
They were regulars on old-time radio's The Pepsodent Show (1938-1948), Starring Bob Hope (1903-2003), in the late 1930s and early 1940s,[3][4] and recorded as backup singers for Judy Garland (1922-1969),[5] Jimmy Durante (1893-1980),[6] and Bing Crosby (1904-1977), whom they backed on his 1944 recording, later released in 1945 version of the theme song of the 1946 Western film starring Judy Garland in the The Harvey Girls of "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" which reached No.
Alumni Vince Degen, Tony Paris, Howard Hudson, Pauline Byrns and young Andy Williams (soon replaced by Jerry Duane) went on to form The Starlighters in 1946, continuing a decade later into the 1950s.
[12] Personnel at that time was Pauline Byrns, Marvin Bailey, Vince Degen, Lee Gotch, Mack McLean, Tony Paris and Bill Seckler.