Singer and actress Peggy King, whose career spanned big band music, television variety shows, and film, died on October 25 at the age of 96. King was recognized for her work in the 1950s before returning to the music industry in the 1980s following a twenty-year hiatus.
King began her career in the early 1950s singing with big bands, including Ralph Flanagan and his orchestra. In 1952, she signed a movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and eventually secured a long-term recording contract with Columbia Records. During this period, she released two bestselling albums, "Wish Upon A Star" and "Girl Meets Boy."
In addition to her music career, King was a regular guest on several television variety programs, including "The George Gobel Show" and "The Mel Tormé Show." She also made acting appearances on programs such as "Dragnet" and appeared as a singer in the film "The Bad and the Beautiful." In 1956, she joined a USO tour to perform for troops in Alaska alongside comedian Bob Hope.
After stepping away from show business in 1961 to raise her children in Philadelphia, King resumed her career in the early 1980s. She performed with the Philly Pops Orchestra and various jazz ensembles, appearing in nightclubs and theaters in New York City and Philadelphia. In 1983, she released a new album titled "Rain Sometimes," produced by Michael Abene and Jay Messina.
For contemporary listeners and students of jazz and traditional pop, King’s return to the studio in 1983 represented a shift in recording standards. Unlike the high-pressure, conductor-led sessions she experienced at Columbia Records in the 1950s, her later work allowed for more artistic input from the performer. This return to the industry occurred after a 22-year absence, demonstrating a trajectory common to performers of that era who balanced domestic life with professional recording.
What happens next: Tributes to King’s career have included rebroadcasts of her 1983 live performances and interviews. Her discography, which includes recordings of standards by George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, and Jerome Kern, remains available through various archives. No specific funeral or memorial service details were reported by the source. Fans and researchers can access her recorded interviews and concert segments through the Fresh Air archive.