The King Sisters
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The King Sisters |
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The King Sisters were an American big band-era vocal quartet.[clarification needed]
History
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, the King Sisters originally were part of the "Driggs Family of Entertainers".
"In the early 1930s sisters Luise, Maxine and Alyce formed a vocal trio along the lines of their idols, the Boswell Sisters, and traveled to San Francisco to audition for radio station KGO (to replace the Boswell Sisters themselves, who were leaving the station)." [1]
In 1935, the King Sisters accepted a job with bandleader Horace Heidt. According to Dana Countryman,[who?] this lasted until 1938 when Alyce King accidentally knocked over a microphone and slightly injured the wife of a potential sponsor. Gradually, relations between the King Sisters and Heidt deteriorated to the point where they left the band. [citation needed] In the following years, they separately and together sang with the bands of Artie Shaw and Charlie Barnet. They also turned down a request to be the vocal group for the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They recorded for Bluebird Records, a sub-label of RCA Victor Records and the same label as Miller, and also had their first hit with a vocal version of Miller's hit, "In The Mood". Luise married guitarist Alvino Rey, and they appeared with him in a series of hit songs.[2]
At the peak of their success, they also appeared in a number of Hollywood films in the 1940s. During World War II, they appeared regularly on Kay Kyser's radio series. In 1965, they began hosting their own ABC television-network series, The King Family Show, which featured family members including Alyce's husband, actor Robert Clarke, and her sons, Ric de Azevedo, Lex de Azevedo, and Cam Clarke, as well as other talent. The show ran until 1969. [citation needed]
Deaths
- Luise King (Rey) died on August 4, 1997, from cancer, the year of her 60th wedding anniversary to Alvino Rey, who died on February 24, 2004, aged 95.[clarification needed]
- Alyce King (Clarke) died on August 23, 1996, from respiratory problems.
- Donna King (Conkling) died on June 16, 2007, aged 88, in Plano, Texas.
- Yvonne King (Burch) died on December 13, 2009, aged 89, after being injured in a fall at her home in Santa Barbara, California.
References
- ^ [dead link]""Solid! The King Sisters"". Parabrisas. p. 1. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ [dead link]Countryman, Dana. ""The King Sister's Official Fan Page"". Dana Countryman. pp. 5–9. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
External links
- officialkingfamily.com, The King Family official website
- thekingsister.com, more information, including a complete biography, discography, photos and memorabilia about the King Sisters[clarification needed]