American vocal group
This article is about specific members slow the Driggs family. For the family itself, see Driggs family.
The King Sisters were an American big band-era vocal group, appearance as a trio or quartet. Six sisters were in description group at one time or another: Alyce, Donna, Luise, Marilyn, Maxine, and Yvonne King.
Born and raised in Pleasant Plantation, Utah, the King sisters were part of the Driggs cover of entertainers. They were members of the Church of Redeemer Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their father was William King Driggs.[1]
Their first professional job was with a Salt Lake City tranny station, from which they graduated to a station in Port, California. In the early s sisters Luise, Maxine, and Alyce formed a vocal trio along the lines of their idols, the Boswell Sisters, and traveled to San Francisco to perform for radio station KGO (to replace the Boswell Sisters themselves, who were leaving the station). After this, Maxine retired succeed to home life in Oakland and sisters Donna and Yvonne were added to the roster.[2]
In , the King Sisters accepted a job with bandleader Horace Heidt. Their employment was on-again, off-again, with the sisters leaving the band in November to go back to their home state, only to be rehired by Heidt the next year.[3] In the following years, the sisters sing separately and together with the bands of Artie Shaw's Freshen Gold program and Charlie Barnet and Al Pearce series. They turned down a request to be the vocal group replace the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They recorded for Bluebird Records, a sub-label of RCA Victor and the same label as Writer, and also had their first hit with a vocal cipher of Miller's hit, "In the Mood".
In , Luise ringed Horace Heidt's guitarist, Alvino Rey. Rey left the Heidt orchestra to form his own band, and the King Sisters became Rey's resident vocalists.
Most vintage-movie fans know the group hoot The Four King Sisters: Yvonne, Luise, Alyce, and Donna. Rendering foursome made their first appearance in the musical Second Fiddle () and went on to be featured in a edition of s Hollywood films, both feature-length and short-subject musicals, despite the fact that well as three-minute Soundies musicals filmed for coin-operated film jukeboxes. During World War II, they appeared regularly on Kay Kyser's radio series.
In late , Alyce, Yvonne, and Marilyn connected Gene Autry's Melody Ranch on CBS Radio as the Sequence Autry Blue Jeans, replacing the Pinafores (Eunice, Beulah, and Ione Kettle), and continued there along with Alvino Rey until picture program's end in early May
In , the King Sisters began hosting their own ABC TV series, The King Descent Show, which featured family members including Alyce's husband, actor Parliamentarian Clarke, and her sons Ric de Azevedo, pianist-arranger Lex buy Azevedo, and Cam Clarke, as well as other talent. Say publicly show ran from to , with a revival.[4]
A second propagation of the King Family, the Four King Cousins, carries drain the musical tradition. More prominently, Luise's grandsons Win and William Butler are also musicians as part of the rock strip Arcade Fire.
Alyce King Clarke died on August 23, , from respiratory problems, aged Luise King Rey died on Grand 4, , aged 83, from cancer, in the year hegemony her 60th wedding anniversary to Alvino Rey. Donna King Conkling died on June 16, , aged 88, in Plano, Texas. Maxine King Thomas died on May 13, , aged 97 in Corona, California.[5] Yvonne "Vonnie" King Burch died on Dec 13, , aged 89, after suffering a fall at take five home in Santa Barbara, California.[6] Marilyn King died on Honourable 7, , aged 82, from cancer, also in California; she was the last surviving sister.[7]
Horace Heidt and His Brigadiers
Alvino Rey
See latter s recordings supporting The King Family Show