Peggy King obit

Peggy King, ‘George Gobel Show’ Actress and Singer of the ’50s, Dies at 96

She was not on the list.

Peggy King, a 1950s television and recording star, died Sunday following a battle with Alzheimer’s at the Saunders House Assisted Living facility in Wynnewood, Pa. She was 96.

King’s publicist, Alan Eicher, confirmed her death.

King was a regular on the “George Gobel Show” from 1954-57. Gobel dubbed her “Pretty Perky Peggy King,” a nickname that stuck for the rest of her career. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for best female singer in 1955. She performed “Count Your Blessings” at the 1955 Academy Awards and co-hosted the Emmys in 1958.

King appeared on shows including Bob Hope’s “Chevy Show,” “American Bandstand,” “The Steve Allen Show,” “The Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle,” “What’s My Line?,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “The Perry Como Show,” “The Garry Moore Show” and “The Jack Benny Program.” Her dramatic credits include roles on “Maverick” and “Dragnet.”

In 1952, she signed to an MGM contract, which led to a cameo in Vincente Minnelli’s “The Bad and the Beautiful,” in which she sang on the soundtrack album. She also appeared in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”

Mitch Miller signed her to a long-term contract with Columbia Records, where she made two best-selling albums. She had a string of hit singles, and composer Arthur Hamilton wrote “Cry Me a River” for her but Miller would not let her record the song.

King starred with Tab Hunter in the television musical “Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates.” She also starred in a TV musical version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” with Joel Grey, Celeste Holm and Cyril Ritchard. She played a stewardess in the 1957 thriller “Zero Hour!” with Dana Andrews and Linda Danell.

She was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2010 and was among the first celebrities honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. King’s last released recording was the album “Songs a la King,” released in 2016. She performed regularly in the Philadelphia area, New York and Los Angeles as late as 2014.

King was born Feb. 16, 1930, to Floyd Henry King and Margaret Finan in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Ravenna High School and sang on radio in Cleveland. She was a regular on “The Mel Torme Show” for CBS and had a successful commercial jingle for Hunt’s Tomato Sauce.

King is survived by her daughter, Suzy Rudofker, and son-in-law, Dwain Goforth.

 

Actress

James Garner and Jack Kelly in Maverick (1957)

Maverick

8.0

TV Series

Jenny Hill

1959

1 episode

 

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates (1958)

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates

7.1

TV Movie

Rychie Van Gleck

1958

 

Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden, and Peggy King in Zero Hour! (1957)

Zero Hour!

6.6

Janet Turner

1957

 

Matinee Theatre (1955)

Matinee Theatre

6.7

TV Series

1957

1 episode

 

Producers' Showcase (1954)

Producers' Showcase

7.1

TV Series

Tillie Hemmelpacker

1956

1 episode

 

Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program (1950)

The Jack Benny Program

8.5

TV Series

Peggy King

1955

1 episode

 

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Eddie Parker, and Marie Windsor in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

6.2

Vocalist

1955

 

Jack Webb in Dragnet (1951)

Dragnet

7.5

TV Series

1955

1 episode

 

Torch Song (1953)

Torch Song

5.6

Cora (uncredited)

1953

 

Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

The Bad and the Beautiful

7.7

Singer at Party (uncredited)

1952

 

Music Department

Jack Webb in Dragnet (1951)

Dragnet

7.5

TV Series

singer: original song

1955

1 episode

 

Soundtrack

Look Me Over: Liberace (2021)

Look Me Over: Liberace

6.0

performer: "When Liberace Winks at Me"

2021

 

Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Behind the Candelabra

7.0

performer: "When Liberace Winks at Me"

2013

 

Kraft Music Hall Presents: The Dave King Show

TV Series

performer: "Come Rain or Come Shine"

1959

1 episode

 

James Garner and Jack Kelly in Maverick (1957)

Maverick

8.0

TV Series

performer: "Some Sunday Morning", "Over the Rolling Waters Go", "Too Much Love Can Make You Unhappy", "Comin' Thro' the Rye"

1959

1 episode

 

Producers' Showcase (1954)

Producers' Showcase

7.1

TV Series

performer: "He Never Looks My Way", "I'll Go Along With You"

1956

1 episode

 

The George Gobel Show (1954)

The George Gobel Show

7.2

TV Series

performer: "Love and Marriage"performer: "Moments to Remember"performer: "Mambo In The Moonlight" ...

1955

5 episodes

 

Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program (1950)

The Jack Benny Program

8.5

TV Series

performer: "This Is Where Love Walks Out, Brother"

1955

1 episode

 

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Eddie Parker, and Marie Windsor in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

6.2

performer: "You Came A Long Way From St. Louis", "Sing You Sinners"

1955

 

Best Actress Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) with presenter William Holden at the 27th Academy Awards.

The 27th Annual Academy Awards

6.7

TV Special

performer: "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep"

1955

 

Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

The Bad and the Beautiful

7.7

performer: "Don't Blame Me" (uncredited)

1952

 

Kreisler Bandstand (1951)

Kreisler Bandstand

TV Series

performer: "Somebody Loves Me"

1951

1 episode

 

Thanks

Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)

Tab Hunter Confidential

7.5

special thanks

2015

 

Self

Kevin Pollak, Imogene Coca, George Gobel, Martha Raye, and Fred Willard in Funny You Never Knew (2019)

Funny You Never Knew

8.4

Self

2019

 

Mike Douglas in The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

The Mike Douglas Show

7.0

TV Series

Self - Co-HostSelf - Vocalist

1963–1967

9 episodes

 

ABC's Nightlife (1964)

ABC's Nightlife

2.6

TV Series

Self

1965

4 episodes

 

Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie in Today (1952)

Today

4.5

TV Series

Self

1963

1 episode

 

The Tonight Show (1962)

The Tonight Show

7.7

TV Series

Self - Vocalist

1962

2 episodes

 

Jack Paar in The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957)

The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar

8.2

TV Series

Self

1958–1962

4 episodes

 

To Tell the Truth (1956)

To Tell the Truth

7.7

TV Series

Self - Panelist

1961

1 episode

 

To St. Louis with Music

TV Special

Self - Musician

1960

 

Be Our Guest

TV Series

Self

1960

1 episode

 

The Garry Moore Show (1958)

The Garry Moore Show

6.8

TV Series

Self

1959–1960

4 episodes

 

The Perry Como Show (1948)

The Perry Como Show

7.6

TV Series

Self - Guest

1957–1959

3 episodes

 

The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams

TV Series

Self

1959

1 episode

 

Tony Bennett and Teresa Brewer in Perry Presents (1959)

Perry Presents

TV Series

Self - Vocalist

1959

2 episodes

 

Kraft Music Hall Presents: The Dave King Show

TV Series

Self - Musical Guest

1959

1 episode

 

"The Milton Berle Show" Milton Berle, NBC circa 1959. Photo by Gerald Smith MPTV

The Milton Berle Show

7.7

TV Series

Self

1959

1 episode

 

The George Gobel Show (1954)

The George Gobel Show

7.2

TV Series

Self - VocalistSelf - SingerSelf - Guest Vocalist

1954–1959

65 episodes

 

Sandra Dee and Ricky Nelson in The Juke Box Jury (1953)

The Juke Box Jury

TV Series

Self

1956–1958

2 episodes

 

Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (1949)

Arthur Godfrey and His Friends

6.3

TV Series

Self

1958

1 episode

 

Make Me Laugh

3.6

TV Series

Self

1958

1 episode

 

"Pantomime Quiz' Alan Young, Connie Hines c. 1958

Pantomime Quiz

7.9

TV Series

Self

1958

1 episode

 

Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita in The Steve Allen Show (1956)

The Steve Allen Show

8.4

TV Series

Self - SingerSelf - rehearsing for 'Jack and the Beanstalk'

1956–1958

3 episodes

 

The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom (1957)

The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom

7.1

TV Series

Self

1957

1 episode

 

The Guy Mitchell Show

TV Series

Self

1957

2 episodes

 

Nat 'King' Cole in The Nat King Cole Show (1956)

The Nat King Cole Show

8.4

TV Series

Self

1957

1 episode

 

Bette Chapel in The Julius LaRosa Show (1955)

The Julius LaRosa Show

TV Series

Self

1957

1 episode

 

The Vic Damone Show

TV Series

Self - VocalistSelf - Actress

1956–1957

2 episodes

 

The Ray Anthony Show

TV Series

Self

1957

1 episode

 

Bob Hope in The Bob Hope Show (1950)

The Bob Hope Show

7.2

TV Series

Self

1956

1 episode

 

The Jonathan Winters Show (1956)

The Jonathan Winters Show

8.1

TV Series

Self

1956

1 episode

 

The Milton Berle Show (1948)

The Milton Berle Show

7.4

TV Series

Self - Singer

1956

1 episode

 

Bennett Cerf, John Daly, Arlene Francis, and Dorothy Kilgallen in What's My Line? (1950)

What's My Line?

8.5

TV Series

Self - Mystery Guest

1955

1 episode

 

Stan Kenton in Music 55 (1955)

Music 55

TV Series

Self

1955

1 episode

 

I've Got a Secret (1952)

I've Got a Secret

7.9

TV Series

Self - Guest

1955

1 episode

 

The Name's the Same (1951)

The Name's the Same

7.5

TV Series

Self - Celebrity Guest

1955

1 episode

 

Best Actress Grace Kelly (The Country Girl) with presenter William Holden at the 27th Academy Awards.

The 27th Annual Academy Awards

6.7

TV Special

Self - Performer

1955

 

Musical Chairs

TV Series

Self - Guest Star

1954

2 episodes

 

Hoagy Carmichael in The Saturday Night Revue (1953)

The Saturday Night Revue

TV Series

Self

1954

1 episode

 

The Mel Tormé Show

TV Series

Self - singer

1951–1952

6 episodes

 

Kreisler Bandstand (1951)

Kreisler Bandstand

TV Series

Self

1951

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Look Me Over: Liberace (2021)

Look Me Over: Liberace

6.0

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2021

 

Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Behind the Candelabra

7.0

Self (archive footage, uncredited)

2013

 

Reputations (1994)

Reputations

6.7

TV Series

Self - Singer (archive footage)

2000

1 episode