I’ve been listening to a lot of Korean music lately, and rather enjoying The Kim Sisters (Sook-ja, Ai-ja, and Mia—though Mia was actually the sisters’ cousin): a trio of multi-talented singers and musicians (“Who rate amongst the most versatile entertainers in the business. They not only sing, they play about 20 instruments” was how they were introduced on American TV). The Kim Sisters went from Korean post-war poverty to Las Vegas success in the 1960s.

Sook Ja and Ai-Ja’s mother was the Korean singer Lee Nan Young, and their father was Kim Hae Song, a respected classical conductor. Their father died during the Korean War, and the family home was destroyed. To support her family Lee Nan performed in shows to American troops stationed in the country. It was during one of these shows that Lee Nan introduced her two daughters and their cousin, Mia, as The Kim Sisters. Their singing and musical act proved a hit, and encouraged by their initial success, the girls started regularly appearing on the bill of GI shows.

They often sang just for food, as the family, like most Koreans during and after the war, were in direst poverty. They began singing American show songs, learning the lyrics phonetically. This increased The Kim Sisters popularity, and in 1959, they were helped by a talent manager to perform in the US at Las Vegas’ Thunderbird Hotel. So, began The Kim Sisters American career.
 

 
From being paid beer, fruit and chocolate for their singing, the trio of girls were soon earning $400 a week. From the Thunderbird, they were quickly booked to play the Stardust Hotel, where they developed their act by learning to play an incredible selection of instruments.

Eventually TV came a knockin’ and by the time The Kim Sisters appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Dean Martin Show they were bringing in around $12,000 a week. When Ed Sullivan heard that Lee Nan Young was still in Korea for lack of a visa, he intervened, but with the understanding that she would appear on his show with the Kim Sisters.
 

 
Their success made them a mainstay of Las Vegas, and LA nightclubs, and The Kim Sisters continued to perform through the sixties and seventies. Their musical style was a mix of the Andrews Sisters meets The Supremes, moving from Tin Pan Alley hits to pop songs. This small selection of videos will give you an idea of The Kim Sisters’ appeal. First up is a clip of The Kim Sisters on The Hollywood Palace television show. Stay with it for when they all three start playing the xylophone together (or go directly to about 3:22 in). It’s pretty cool: