The Kim Sisters

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The Kim Sisters
Kim Sisters with Dean Martin.jpg
The Kim Sisters with Dean Martin.
Background information
Origin South Korea
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Singers
Years active1953–1975
Past members
  • Kim Sook-ja (Sue)
  • Kim Ai-ja (Aija)
  • Kim Min-ja (Mia)

The Kim Sisters was a Korean-born American female vocal group who made their career in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. Formed in 1953, the group are known for being the first South Korean music group to achieve success in the U.S. market during the 1960s, and for performing more than 20 times on The Ed Sullivan Show . The group consisted of Sue, Aija and Mia. [1] [2]

Contents

Early lives

Sue and Aija's parents were Kim Hae-song, a popular conductor, and Lee Nan-young, one of Korea's most famous singers before the Korean War, best known for her song, "Tears of Mokpo." Mia's father was Lee Bong-ryong, a musician and Lee Nan-young's elder brother. [3]

In 1950, North Korea captured and later executed Kim Hae-song, the father of Sue and Aija. [4]

Career

Beginnings

The Kim Sisters were formed in 1953. [5] Following her husband's kidnapping, Lee Nan-young adopted Mia and had her daughters form a singing group in order to support the family. [4] Lee bought American records on the black market so that the girls could learn songs like Hoagy Carmichael's "Ole Buttermilk Sky," which they performed in bars and nightclubs for American soldiers stationed in South Korea during the Korean War. [6]

Harbor Lights/Ching Chang, the first Kim Sisters record from 1959. KIM SISTERS Harbor Lights 1959 U.S. single.jpg
Harbor Lights/Ching Chang, the first Kim Sisters record from 1959.

The Kim Sisters were popular among the American troops, who spread the word about the group to American entertainment producer Tom Ball. He flew to South Korea in 1958 to hear the group perform, and The Kim Sisters signed a contract with Ball soon after. However, it took them nearly a year to acquire visas to go to the United States. [6]

Fame in the United States

In 1959, The Kim Sisters arrived in Las Vegas to perform in Ball's "China Doll Revue" at the Thunderbird Hotel. [4] After they fulfilled their contract at the Thunderbird, The Kim Sisters began performing at the Stardust Hotel. It was during this time that they were first invited to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show . They ultimately performed on the show an additional 21 times. [7] They made a guest appearance on the Dean Jones Ensign O'Toole sitcom, "Operation Benefit" October 14, 1962. The Kim Sisters frequently performed wearing Korean hanbok and singing popular American songs. [4]

In 1962, their cover of The Coasters song "Charlie Brown" reached #7 on the Billboard singles chart, making The Kim Sisters the first commercially successful Korean artists in the United States. [8] The group retired in 1975 after more than 20 years of performing. [9] [10]

Aija died of lung cancer in 1987. [2] [6] Mia lives in Hungary with her husband, famous musician Tommy Vig, and still performs in America, Europe and Korea. [11]

On March 27, 2014, Sue Kim became the first Korean American to be inducted into the Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame. [12]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details [13]
Their First Album
푸레젠트
  • Released: 1969
  • Region: South Korea
  • Label: L.K.L. Records
  • Format: LP record
어머니를 추모한 김시스터즈 가요집
  • Released: 1970
  • Region: South Korea
  • Label: Shin Jin
  • Format: LP record
This Is My Life
  • Released: 1975
  • Region: South Korea
  • Label: Oasis Records
  • Format: LP record

U.S. singles

TitleSingle details [14] Peak
chart
positions
US Singles
[15]
"Harbor Lights"
"Ching Chang"		—
"A Diamond Is Forever"
"Now Is the Hour"		—
"Love Star"
"You Can't Have Everything (They Say)"		—
"Blueberry Pie"
"We're Going Back Together"
  • Released: 1963
  • Label: Monument Records
  • Format: 7-inch
—
"Mister Magic Moon"
"Roses in the Snow"
  • Released: 1964
  • Label: Monument Records
  • Format: 7-inch
—
"Charlie Brown"
"Korean Spring Song"
  • Released: 1964
  • Label: Monument Records
  • Format: 7-inch
7
"Bittersweet"
"Tic-A-Tic-A-Toc-Toc"
  • Released: 1965
  • Label: Monument Records
  • Format: 7-inch
—
"No Sad Songs for Me"
"Just Like Taking Candy from a Baby"
  • Released: 1966
  • Label: Monument Records
  • Format: 7-inch
—

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References

  1. ↑ Song, Cheol-min (2016). K-pop Beyond Asia. Korean Culture and Information Service. pp. 23–24. ISBN   978-8973755981.
  2. 1 2 Teszar, David (September 21, 2011). "From Seoul to Las Vegas: story of the Kim Sisters". The Korea Times. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ Yim, Seung-hee (January 31, 2017). "The Kim Sisters, pioneering K-pop stars, recall their journey : New documentary "Try to Remember" tells the story of the trio who dominated Vegas Strip". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Seid, Danielle (2016). "Forgotten Femmes, Forgotten War: The Kim Sisters' Disappearance from American Screen and Scene". Occasional Paper Series (Las Vegas: Center for Gaming Research) (38). Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Kwon, Mee-yoo (January 25, 2017). "Kim Sisters' Min-ja talks about 'Try to Remember'". The Korea Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Hong, Euny (2014). The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   978-1471131059.
  7. ↑ I-Fen Cheng, Cindy, ed. (2016). The Routledge Handbook of Asian American Studies. Routledge. ISBN   978-1317813910.
  8. ↑ "Girl Groups in Korean Pop Music History". KBS World Radio. May 29, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  9. ↑ "'라스베이거스 주름잡는 金(김)시스터즈 내년5월 歸國(귀국)'" ['The Kim Sisters, who dominate Las Vegas, will return to the country in May next year']. Kyunghyang Shinmun. Naver News Library. November 19, 1974. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ "'★TBC「김시스터즈귀국쇼」16개각종 악기도다뤄'" ['★TBC「Kim Sisters Homecoming Show」also features 16 different musical instruments']. Kyunghyang Shinmun. Naver News Library. May 10, 1975. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ Upcoming Performances at Mia's web site
  12. ↑ Przybys, John (March 26, 2014). "UNLV Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame honors five who made local stages shine". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Kim Sisters". Discogs. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  14. ↑ "The Kim Sisters Discography – USA". 45cat. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ Kwon, Hyuk-joo (August 29, 2018). "Hands off the K-pop". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved December 27, 2023.

Further reading

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