The Kim Sisters- Debut on the Ed Sullivan Show (1959)

The Kim Sisters were one of the first famous Korean singers who made it big not only in their hometown of Korea, but in the United States as well. They were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. The trio was made up of Sue and Aija Hae-Song and their cousin Mia Kim. One of their claim to fames was that they looked like triplets. They all grew up being daughters of musicians and conductors. One of which, was daughters of one of the most famous singers before the Korean War (Lee Nan-young).

Their mother/aunty Lee had been singing for the foreign troops to earn enough money just to get by. Sadly, in 1953 their family lost everything in a bombing during the Korean War. This spurred the girls to try and help their family rebuild, which created the idea for them to literally sing for food. The Kim Sisters started off performing for chocolate and beer, then they would go and exchange that for food. The girls did not even know English at that time, so they learned the songs phonetically. Surprisingly they were only 13, 12 and 11 years old when they did their first performance but they still left a lasting impact on those American Gis watching. The first song they ever sang was the Hoagy Carmichael’s “Ole’ Buttermilk Sky.”

American men stationed in Korea heard the girls at bars and returned to the United States and spread the word about the up and coming trio. Shortly after they started, Tom Ball (from Los Angeles) signed them to a contract and the girls went to Las Vegas. The girls learned how to play around 12 instruments and were known to be very dynamically well rounded and talented. It was in Las Vegas when the girls' careers really picked up. The Kim Sisters started their contract at the Stardust Hotel and got a lot of publicity because of their rare and exotic Asian look. They got the attention of the famous T.V. show host Ed Sullivan and he requested them to perform on his show in 1959. Not only was his variety show ranked #15 for the best shows of all time (by T.V. Guide) but Ed featured people like Elvis, The Beatles and The Supremes. The Kim Sisters were so loved that they were invited back on the Ed Sullivan show more than 22 times and became nationally known. This is Kim Sisters on the Ed Sullivan Show

They were on all the big TV shows of the day, they were featured in LIFE and NEWSWEEK and other magazines. They kept performing for the next 15 or so years continuing to do most of their gigs in Las Vegas. The Kim Sisters came out with many records and eventually made around $13,000 a week (compared a few chocolate bars before).

Submitted by: Lauren Fukuzawa