[1] The Burns Sisters were raised as members of a large Irish Catholic family of 12 children in Binghamton, New York.

Their music has been influenced by their father's political activism and their mother's background as a classically trained opera singer.

In 1993, the quintet released Songs of the Heart before older sisters Terry and Sheila dropped out to devote more time to their families.

[1] The album also includes Bob Childers' song "Prisoner of the Promised Land," written in Okemah, Oklahoma, while attending the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.

[8] Jeannie Burns left the band in 2013 to study guitar and songwriting,[9] with Marie and Annie continuing to perform as a duo.