Peggy King

Peggy King

Peggy King on The Jack Benny Show
Background information
Born (1930-02-16) February 16, 1930
Genres Pop
Website http://www.peggyking.org

Peggy King (born 16 February 1930, Greensburg, Pennsylvania) is a jazz and pop vocalist and former TV personality. She got her start with the bands of Charlie Spivak, Ralph Flanagan and Ray Anthony[1] and was featured on an early TV series with Mel Torme.[2]

Career

"Pretty perky Peggy King", as she was called, appeared on The George Gobel Show from 1954 through 1957 and guest-starred on many other TV shows, including Bob Hope's 1956 Chevy Show, American Bandstand, Maverick, Dragnet (series), The Steve Allen Show,[3] The Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle,[4] What's My Line?,[5] The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Perry Como Show,[6] The Garry Moore Show, and The Jack Benny Show.[7]

In 1952 MGM signed her to a contract, which led to a singing cameo in Vincente Minnelli's The Bad and the Beautiful (recorded with Skip Martin for MGM Records) and a series of commercial jingles for Hunt's tomato sauce. These last brought her to the attention of Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. Miller signed her to a long-term contract, under which she made two best-selling albums, "Wish Upon on a Star" and "Girl Meets Boy" (both reissued on CD by Collectables Records),[8][9] and a string of hit singles. She sang the Oscar-nominated song Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) on the 1955 Academy Awards telecast,[10] and both Billboard and Down Beat named her "Best New Singer" of 1955–56.[11]

She sang in the 1955 cult comedy Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy and was featured as chief co-star on the poster. She portrayed the stewardess Janet Turner in the suspense thriller Zero Hour! (1957), later the basis for the disaster spoof, Airplane!. She starred opposite Tab Hunter in the original television musical Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates (1958) and in a musical version of Jack and the Beanstalk co-starring Joel Grey, Celeste Holm and Cyril Ritchard. Her more recent albums include "Lazy Afternoon" (1959, reissued on CD in 2012 by EMI),[12] "Oh What a Memory We Made Tonight" and "Peggy King Sings Jerome Kern".[13] In 2008 Sepia Records reissued the original cast album of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates, adding sixteen of King's classic Columbia recordings and four of Hunter's.[14] In Feb., 2016, she released an all-new CD album, her first recording in 36 years, accompanied by the All-Star Jazz Trio.[15]

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted King into their Hall of Fame in 2010.[16][17] The success of the movie led to her resuming her singing career in 2013 with the Philadelphia-based All-Star Jazz Trio,[18] and she received strong notices at 54 Below in New York[19] and the Metropolitan Room.[20] In 2016, King continues to perform in nightclubs, theatres and at charitable and private events on a regular basis, with Music Director/Pianist Andrew Kahn and accompanied by The All-Star Jazz Trio.[21]

On February 8, 1960, King became one of the first stars to be honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located on the north side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Blvd.[22][23]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.peggyking.org/
  2. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184140/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
  3. ↑ PEGGY KING & Steve Allen on her birthday 2/16/58 (Television production). 1958-02-16 – via YouTube.
  4. ↑ Video on YouTube
  5. ↑ Video on YouTube
  6. ↑ Video on YouTube
  7. ↑ Video on YouTube
  8. ↑ "Peggy King › Girl Meets Boy / Wish Upon A Star (with Percy Faith & His Orchestra)". Oldies.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  9. ↑ http://www.oldies.com/product-view/76142.html
  10. ↑ Video on YouTube
  11. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/print/1985-10-19/entertainment/ca-15138_1_peggy-king
  12. ↑ "Peggy King: Lazy Afternoon". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-01-17. Retrieved 17 January 2016. Release Date April 24, 2012
  13. ↑ "Discography". Pretty Perky Peggy Lee. Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  14. ↑ "Hans Brinker Or The Silver Skates". Sepia. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 17 January 2016. ...we have added four songs performed by Hunter ..., and another sixteen songs by songbird Peggy King,
  15. ↑ http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/songs__la_king-cd-6358.html
  16. ↑ Video on YouTube
  17. ↑ "Biography in Sight and Sound". Pretty Perky Peggy Lee. Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  18. ↑ Amorosi, A. D. (November 30, 2013). "Peggy King returns with a big voice - and songbook". Philly.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  19. ↑ Joe Regan Jr., Joe Jr. (December 30, 2013). "Peggy King and the All-Star Jazz Trio". Theater Pizzazz. Archived from the original on 2014-02-14. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Peggy King to Play Metropolitan Room, 2/23". Broadway World: Cabaret. 2014-02-06. Retrieved 17 January 2016. Vocalist Peggy King, one of the best-loved stars of TV's Golden Age, as well as stage, screen and nightclubs, continues her resurgence after nearly a 30-year absence, with a series of performances at the Metropolitan Room, starting Sunday, Feb. 23 at 4 PM, just a few days after celebrating her 84th birthday.
  21. ↑ http://articles.philly.com/2016-02-01/business/70225699_1_la-king-36-years-sound-records
  22. ↑ "Peggy King". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  23. ↑ Stanley, T. L. (2010-07-01). "Peggy King". Los Angeles Times: Hollywood Star Walk. Archived from the original on 2015-09-28. Retrieved 17 January 2016. North side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard
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