Peggy King, one of the most popular TV and recording stars of the 1950's, will make her first Los Angeles appearance in more than 30 years on Sunday, July 27 at 7:30 PM at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. Joining her will be acclaimed pianist, harpist and vocalist Corky Hale, leading an all-star quartet including Lymon Medeiros on bass, Jack LeCompte on drums and John Chiodini on guitar.
King was re-discovered last year in the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning film "Behind the Candelabra," in which Michael Douglas and Matt Damon are seen watching her perform "When Liberace Winks at Me" from a 1955 video performance, accompanied by the real Liberace. The song went viral and is included on the Elektra soundtrack album and DVD. Since then, King has been performing with great success at such New York clubs as 54 Below and the Metropolitan Room. Terry Gross, reviewing her on NPR, said "Peggy King is one of the foremost interpreters of American popular music. She should be declared a national treasure." Jazz Times wrote: "Her intonation, interpretive powers, subtle sense of swing and range are all intact, and better than ever."
King is best-remembered for her three years as "pretty perky Peggy King" on the weekly "George Gobel Show" in the 1950's, and for film appearances ranging from the Vincente Minnelli classic "The Bad and the Beautifulz' to the cult favorite "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy." She co-starred with Tab Hunter in the Hugh Martin musical "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates" and was a frequent guest-star on all of the major variety shows. Her Columbia Records hits include "Make Yourself Comfortable," "You Better Go Now" and "Learning to Love" and a 30-track CD compilation of her classic recordings has just been released this month by Jasmine Records.
Hale, in addition to her own stellar career, has played for such legendary vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, PeggyLee, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, and Nat King Cole. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2007 as piano soloist with the New York Pops Orchestra, followed by more recent appearances at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She has also produced several shows, including "A Night With Janis Joplin" and "Smokey Joe's Café," featuring the songs of her husband Mike Stoller, and is a consultant to the current Broadway hit "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill" with Audra McDonald.
The Catalina Jazz Club is located at 6725 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. The phone for reservations and info is 323-466-2210. For more, go to:
www.catalinajazzclub.com,
www.peggyking.org and
www.corkyhale.com.
