The King Sisters

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, the four King Sisters—Donna, Yvonne, Luise, and Alyce—ranked among the big-band era’s most durable and widely followed vocal ensembles. They adopted their professional surname from their father, the vocal coach known as Daddy King Driggs. At first the siblings performed alongside their mother and a family acquaintance as the Six King Sisters, gaining notice in 1935 during engagements with the Horace Heidt Band and remaining on Heidt’s radio program for the next three years. As the 1930s progressed the lineup contracted to a quartet; after a period with Al Pearce, the sisters joined a fresh orchestra launched in 1939 by Luise’s husband, the celebrated guitarist Alvino Rey. They contributed to Rey’s successful recordings “Nighty Night” and “I Said No,” then notched their own hits with “The Hut Sut Song,” “I Understand,” “I’ll Get By,” and “In the Mood.”

While at the height of their popularity the quartet also appeared in several Hollywood films: Sing Your Worries Away in 1942, Meet the People in 1944, and Cuban Pete in 1945. Rey had already disbanded his group after entering military service, so the sisters no longer worked with him. In 1944 they became regular performers on Kay Kyser’s radio broadcasts, yet their appeal faded after the war and they largely disappeared from public view throughout the 1950s. The situation changed in 1965 when ABC recruited the King Sisters, together with various relatives including Rey, to host a weekly variety series. The program quickly found an audience, though the death of Daddy King Driggs only weeks after its debut tempered the achievement. The King Family Show remained on the air until 1969, after which the sisters gradually withdrew from performing during the ensuing decade.