The Golden Girls Sing

Fourteen years ago the Golden Girls were only known as a scattered collection of seemingly has-been television actresses. Today there isn't an American who doesn't know their names, and their fame has spread quickly around the world.

Said one TV fan to another: "Only a hermit could be unaware of the Golden Girls, and he'd have to be beyond the range of television, newspapers, radio, records and rioting fans."

Said another: "They're the biggest, hottest property in the history of show business."

The foursome - Beatrice Arthur, 76, Rue McClanahan, 64, Betty White, 77, and Estelle Getty, 75 - write, play and sing a powerhouse music filled with zest and uninhibited good humor that make listening a sensation-filled joy. It isn't rhythm and blues. It's not exactly rock 'n' roll. It's their own special sound, or, as group leader Arthur puts it, "Our music is just - well, our music."

Whatever it is, the Golden Girls' robust roaring sound has stimulated a reaction that can only be described as "GGmania."

Consider these manifestations:

In Newcastle, Ohio, four thousand fans stood all night in pouring rain to get tickets for a Golden Girl appearance.

In Portsmouth, South Dakota, the queue started 90 hours before the box office opened. Teenagers brought food, drink, blankets and transistor radios, and two determined fans spent four nights outside to hold their place in the queue. --