Peggy King

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Peggy King
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Peggy King on The Jack Benny Show
Background information
Born (1930-02-16) February 16, 1930 (age 94)
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
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  4. Video on YouTube
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  6. Video on YouTube
  7. Video on YouTube
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  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
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  15. http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/songs__la_king-cd-6358.html
  16. Video on YouTube
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  21. http://articles.philly.com/2016-02-01/business/70225699_1_la-king-36-years-sound-records
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External links

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