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Cathy Wurzer
St. Paul, Minn.

Chordettes rode a talent contest to national fame

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"Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes was No. 1 on the Billboard charts 60 years ago today.

The Chordettes were formed in 1946 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The women met each other in a cappella groups in high school. They started performing around Sheboygan, but gained national attention after winning a talent contest sponsored by the Arthur Godfrey television program.

"Mr. Sandman" was the first of several hit songs the group released before disbanding in 1961.

Here's video of a live performance in 1958.

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