The King Sisters
Encyclopedia
The King Sisters were an American
big band
-era vocal quartet.
, about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City, the King Sisters originally were part of the "Driggs Family
of Entertainers".
. According to Dana Countryman
, 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. 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.
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 from 1965-1966, with a revival during 1969.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
-era vocal quartet.
History
Born and raised in Pleasant Grove, UtahPleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove, also known as "Utah's City of Trees", is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,798 at the 2008 census estimates.-History:...
, about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City, the King Sisters originally were part of the "Driggs Family
Driggs family
The Driggs Family, is a prominent American business family descended from Joseph Driggs of Middletown and East Haddam, Connecticut .-Origin of Joseph Driggs:Joseph Driggs is of undetermined ancestry...
of Entertainers".
"In the early 1930s sisters Luise, Maxine and Alyce formed a vocal trio along the lines of their idols, the Boswell SistersIn 1935, the King Sisters accepted a job with bandleader Horace HeidtBoswell SistersThe Boswell Sisters were a close harmony singing group, consisting of sisters Martha Boswell , Connee Boswell , and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell , noted for intricate harmonies and rhythmic experimentation...
, and traveled to San Francisco to audition for radio station KGOKGO (AM)KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
(to replace the Boswell Sisters themselves, who were leaving the station)."
Horace Heidt
Horace Heidt was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television through the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Born in Alameda, California, Heidt attended Culver...
. According to Dana Countryman
Dana Countryman
Dana Countryman is an American electronic music composer and performer notable for his collaboration with French electropop artist Jean-Jacques Perrey. In addition, he was a songwriter and performer in the cabaret-act quartet The Amazing Pink Things...
, 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. In the following years, they separately and together sang with the bands of Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
and Charlie Barnet
Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...
. They also turned down a request to be the vocal group for the Glenn Miller Orchestra
Glenn Miller Orchestra
The Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
. They recorded for Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the "3 records for a dollar" market. Along with ARC's Perfect Records, Melotone Records and Romeo Records, and the independent US Decca label, Bluebird became one of the best...
, a sub-label of RCA Victor Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and the same label as Miller, and also had their first hit with a vocal version of Miller's hit, "In The Mood
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a big band era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. Joe Garland and Andy Razaf arranged "In the Mood" in 1937-1939 using a previously existing main theme composed by Glenn Miller before the start of the 1930s...
". Luise married guitarist Alvino Rey
Alvino Rey
Alvin McBurney , known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American swing era musician and pioneer, often credited as the father of the pedal steel guitar...
, and they appeared with him in a series of hit songs.
At the peak of their success, they also appeared in a number of Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
films in the 1940s. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they appeared regularly on Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
's radio series. In 1965, they began hosting their own ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television-network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
series, The King Family Show
The King Family Show
The King Family Show was an American musical variety series that featured The King Sisters and their extended musical family. The series first aired on ABC from January 1965 to January 1966...
, which featured family members including Alyce's husband, actor Robert Clarke
Robert Clarke
Robert Irby Clarke was an American actor best known for his cult classic science fiction films of the 1950s.-Early life:...
, and her sons, Ric de Azevedo, Lex de Azevedo
Lex de Azevedo
Alexis "Lex" de Azevedo is an American Mormon composer, song writer, pianist and singer known primarily for his film scores and his work on the LDS musical Saturday's Warrior.-Biography:...
, and Cam Clarke
Cam Clarke
Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
, as well as other talent. The show ran from 1965-1966, with a revival during 1969.
Deaths
- Luise King (Rey) died on August 4, 1997, from cancer, the year of her 60th wedding anniversary to Alvino ReyAlvino ReyAlvin McBurney , known by his stage name Alvino Rey, was an American swing era musician and pioneer, often credited as the father of the pedal steel guitar...
, who died on February 24, 2004, aged 95. - Alyce King (Clarke) died on August 23, 1996, from respiratory problems.
- Donna King (Conkling) died on June 16, 2007, aged 88, in Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
. - Yvonne King (Burch) died on December 13, 2009, aged 89, after being injured in a fall at her home in Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
External links
- officialkingfamily.com, The King Family official website
- TheKingSisters.com, more information, including a complete biography, discography, photos and memorabilia about the King Sisters