Favorite
Female American vocal group, active from 1931 through the mid-1980s.
The King Sisters performed as trio, quartet, and sometimes even sextet with changing personnel, but almost exclusively consisted of members of the same family (for the short-lived 1933 sextet, their friend Anita Johnston joined them). As a trio consisting of Maxine King, Luise King, and Alyce King, the group started out on the radio in 1931. In 1933, they were hired by Horace Heidt, who had a radio show out of San Francisco, and continued to perform with the Horace Heidt band, which became known as Horace Heidt And His Brigadiers, until November 1938. At that time, they joined former Heidt guitarist Alvino Rey, who was married to Luise King, and his new big band.
As The Four King Sisters, Luise King, Alyce King, Donna King and Yvonne King had several hits, including "Miss Otis Regrets" (1941), the "Hut-Sut Song" (1941), "Jersey Bounce" (1942), "San Fernando Valley" (1944), and "Mairzy Doates" (1944).
The Four King Sisters worked with Alvino Rey And His Orchestra until 1943, when Rey joined the U.S. Navy, and again in 1946 when he started a new band. In between, they performed with Yvonne King's husband Buddy Cole And His Orchestra; Cole was himself a former member of Alvino Rey's orchestra. In 1946, Luise left to play harp with Buddy Cole And His Orchestra; she was replaced by youngest sister Marilyn King. At the same time, all the King Sisters made several recordings with the Buddy Cole band for Victor and recorded some transcriptions for Victor. In 1948, Alvino Rey founded yet another orchestra, and the King Sisters, including Luise, joined him again.
Between 1949-1952, they all took time off from performing while they focused on their families. Starting in 1952, however, The King Sisters, including Marilyn, who had stayed on with Alvino as his female soloist, rejoined Alvino Rey And His Orchestra for a new TV show called Pasadena Community Dance that was broadcast live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. In 1953, they got their own TV show, The Alvino Rey - King Sisters Show, which in turn led to a contract with Victor in 1956.
On one of the installments of the The Alvino Rey - King Sisters Show, The King Sisters invited their entire by now extended family to join them in song, and that led to the formation of another hugely popular ensemble, The King Family, that had their own TV shows and specials in the 1960s and 1970s. A spin-off group were The Four King Cousins, all daughters of former members of The King Sisters.
2012
Jasmine Records
2xCD, Comp, RM
2010
Music-Box
CD, Comp
2009
Collectors' Choice Music
CD, Comp
2006
Collectables, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Custom Marketing Group
CD, Comp
2006
Flare (3)
CD, Comp
2005
Living Era
CD, Comp
2004
Capitol Records, Capitol Records, EMI
CD, Comp, RM
2002
2001
Collectors' Choice Music
CD, Comp
1999
Jasmine Records
CD, Comp
1995
1983
1982
Joyce
LP, Comp, Mono
1981
1969
1966
Warner Bros. Records
7", Single, Promo, Styrene
1966
1966
1965
1965
1960
Capitol Records
7", Promo
1960
1959
Capitol Records
7", EP, Promo
1959
1959
1959
1959
1958
Capitol Records
7", Single
1958
Capitol Records
7"
1958
Capitol Records
7", EP
1958
1958
1958
1958
1957
London American Recordings, London Records
7", S/Sided, Single, Promo
1957
1957
1957
1957
1957
1957
1955
1954
Allied Record Sales Company
Shellac, 10", Promo
1950
Mercury
Shellac, 10"
1950
Mercury
10", Vin
1950
Sphinx (5), Mercury
Shellac, 10"
1950
1949
Capitol Records
Shellac, 10"
1948
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1947
V Disc
12"
1947
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1947
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1947
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1947
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1946
RCA Victor
Shellac, 10", Hol
1946
Victor
Shellac, 10"
1946
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1946
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1946
RCA Victor
Shellac, 10"
1946
1946
1946
1945
V Disc
12"
1945
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1945
Victor
Shellac, 10"
1945
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1945
1945
1945
1944
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1944
1944
1944
1944
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10", Ind
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1942
1942
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1941
His Master's Voice
Shellac, 10"
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
Bluebird (3)
Shellac, 10"
1941
1941
1941
1941
1941
1941
1941
1941
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters
The King Sisters