Cynthia Strother, a renowned singer and songwriter who teamed with her younger sister Kay to form The Bell Sisters, passed away at the age of 88. The sisters gained almost immediate success in the 1950s with their first song, “Bermuda.”
Strother passed away on Friday due to heart failure at a hospice facility in Las Vegas, her nephew Rex Strother confirmed.
The Bell Sisters, who recorded for RCA from 1951-1955, were especially recognized for their performances on various radio and television shows such as “The Johnny Carson Show,” “The Colgate Comedy Hour,” and “The Mickey Mouse Club.”
Strother, born in Harlan County, Kentucky and raised in Seal Beach, California, alongside her sister Kay, wrote “Bermuda” in 1951 at the age of 16. Their success extended to other hit songs such as “Wheel of Fortune” and “Hambone,” the latter recorded with actor-singer Phil Harris.
Despite their success, Strother and her sister had made appearances on several big-screen musicals including “Cruisin’ Down the River” and “Those Redheads From Seattle”.
Cynthia Strother is survived by her sister Kay, her other sisters, Sharon, Judy, Paula, and Alice, her sons, Seth, Kristoffer, and Keven, as well as numerous grandchildren. Her husband, Seth, whom she married in 1957, passed away in 2006.
The Bell Sisters have had a profound impact on the music industry and their legendary music will forever be cherished.
