'TEEN MAGAZINE September 1965 continued...

Like her cousins, Liza, Cathy and Ric, Jamie was released from certain rehearsals to attend key senior class activities.  Graduated from Van Nuys High School, she plans to major in music at Southern California.  Probably, like cousins Rob and Don, she will attend on a part-time basis.

While dating time is severely restricted, due to the show’s demands, Jamie prefers to go with boys who are exciting but natural, have a good sense of humor, who are interesting conversationalists, considerate, neat and well-mannered.  As a date activity, she enjoys anything that’s fun.

“Just about everything we (the cousins) do is fun,” Jamie comments. “Once about twenty of us piled in our Volkswagen bus and drove to a show in Hollywood.  We had our guitars and sang out of the top the whole way.  When we tried to drive up a steep hill the car wouldn’t make it, so we got out and pushed.  Wherever we go, whatever we do, we always seem to end up together singing!”

Jamie thinks Ric has the most vocal talent and puts the most into his singing.  She also thinks he might be the group’s budding thespian and could do a serious role or musical comedy.  Rob, her nomination as the most serious cousin, has the most instrumental talent among the boys, playing bass and guitar.  She says none of the boys are real dancers, but they can all “move.”

Liza Rey, was eighteen on May 13, is blue-eyed, blonde, 5-8.  She rates personality and manners as top qualities in a boy, and parties as her favorite date activity.  Beach and snow skiing are preferred non-date activities, while her favorite pastimes are playing the harp and piano.

Liza, daughter of Luise (another of the original King Sisters) and Alvino Rey (famous bandleader of pre-war and World War II era with whom the King Sisters toured) was graduated from Camarillo (California) High.  She plans to go to college, and would like to be on the Broadway stage or be a harpist.  Marriage, she says, is at least five years in the future.

Asked how it feels to be the daughter and niece of famous women in the entertainment world, Liza replies, “I don’t feel any different from any other teenager, except we’ve gotten to travel many places with our parents.”

“There have always been family get-togethers on holidays,” she offers.  “Also, the cousins are very close and have double-dated many times.  My girlfriends want to be introduced to the boy cousins, and everyone we talk to always wants to know about the show.”

She considers Ric to have the most vocal talent, inherited from his mother, Alyce, still another of the original King Sisters.  Don, she says, has the greatest sense of humor, as well as being a leading practical joker.  Her nomination for stardom: Rob.

Cathy Cole, 5-4, blonde, green-eyes, was eighteen on June 4, a few days before her graduation from Miramonte High, Orinda, California. “I missed a day of taping for the Senior Ball, and a day of our tour for graduation exercises,” she offers.”  “Our parents know how important these things are to us and they made arrangements.”  She plans to major in music at Southern Cal.

Cathy, daughter of Yvonne (King) and the late Buddy Cole, a famous singer of the Forties, observes “I don’t feel any different from other teens.  I have a normal life as far as I can see.  My best girlfriend out of show business has led the same kind of life as myself.”

Her mother is now married to Del Courtney, nationally-known radio-TV announcer and emcee, also on the show.

Cathy likes boys who have good manners, consideration, respect, strong personality, and who like music and her parents.  Beach parties, picnics, dinner-dancing are favorite date activities.  “Also, I enjoy cooking dinner for my date, sitting home watching television and long drives.”

Don Driggs, just out of his teens, is 6-2, 185, has brown hair and eyes, and drives a Stingray between the San Fernando State College campus and the studio.  He likes ballads, Mexican food and the color blue.  His favorite pastimes are fishing, hunting and competitive games.  A business major, his plans to stay in show business depend on how much he improves as an entertainer.

His ideal girl should be attractive, of moderate build, close to his own age and enjoy sports, dancing and entertaining.  Don considers a perfect date to be a combination dinner and sport night.  However, he says, “The only date night we have is Saturday and usually we get together with our family.”

He recalled a funny incident involving the cousins, when on a day off, everyone left separately to go to different beaches, and ended up at the same beach.

Don thinks Liza is the most talented musician among the girls, and also the most serious.  As a group, he believes the boys have improved the most, both musically and dance-wise, since the show began.  It’s most apparent, he points out, on the Top Twenty.

While he enjoys kidding, Don also has a very thoughtful nature.  Asked to give an opinion about the pressures on today’s teens, he replied, “I assume you mean social pressures, the ones that face all of us.  Actually, I think we all have pressures of one kind or another and the problem really lies within the individual and not the pressures.

“So what I’m saying is that obstacles were created for people to overcome, and not for them to overcome people.”

Ric de Azevedo, son of Alyce (King) and the late Sydney de Azevedo, has blue eyes and dark blonde hair and was eighteen on May 10.  His mother (another of the original singing sisters) is now married to Robert Clarke, the actor who does the dramatic sketches on the show.

Ric, too, has a serious side, in commenting on teenage pressures, he states, “I’ve never felt that there is an excess of pressures on today’s teens.  For the most part they’re pretty much the same as they used to be; but everything moves just a little faster.

“I’ve never come across any problems that I couldn’t handle as a teenager.  My teenage years have been pretty normal, or maybe it’s just because I’m around adults more than the average teen.”

Ric thinks everyone has improved 100% since the show began, but he diplomatically declines to be specific about the girls!  “They’re all the greatest!”

His favorite pastimes are listening to music, going to the beach at night, and sleeping.  He likes all types of dancing, the color blue, steak, lobster, exotic foods and Audrey Hepburn.  His ideal girl would have an exotic face, be tall and slender with long blonde hair, blue eyes and a carefree and quiet personality.  He, too, likes outdoor sports – hunting and fishing, and his favorite date would be an outing in the country.

Ric admittedly loves entertaining and says, “I want to stay in show business, anything to do with it.”  Graduated from North Hollywood High, he hasn’t indicated any plans for college.  As for marriage, he is definitely not planning on it until his middle or late twenties.

There are three other teens in the King Company: Chris Conkling, seventeen, seldom seem on the show; Ray Driggs, the blonde thirteener in the Top Twenty; and Jon Rey, the brunette thirteener, whom the cousins believe could be a fantastic comedian.  “His antics on the show explain it” says one of the girls.

Rob Rey, in addition to being serious and a talented musician, is also shy.  On camera, however, the blonde nineteener projects like a true trouper.  His smile alone has sent the mail count soaring at ABC-TV studios, so stand by, fans.  Perhaps he will come back from his tour with some exclusive comments for readers.

Two others in the company, just inched over the teen age-line, are fast building fan followings: Carolyn Thomas, who is getting more solo vocals, and Tina Cole, Cathy’ sister.  Carolyn is the daughter of Maxine (another of the original Sisters Quartet) and LaVarn Thomas.  Tina will be remembered in the popular “Hawaiian Eye” series.  She joined the show while Connie Stevens was on suspension, and stayed on after the star’s return.

As to how the King Teens flashed so brilliantly, here’s the story.  The kids’ mothers, the King Sisters, have been entertaining since 1940, and came to prominence as featured vocalists with Alvino Rey and his orchestra.  As they married and started families, they went into temporary retirement.  In the spring of 1953, they teamed again with Rey to make their Los Angeles TV debut.

It was a fund-raising show Yvonne decided to put on for her church in Orinda, California that developed into what is now “The King Family” program.  She called on the talents of the entire family (there are six King girls and two King boys and their offspring) ranging in age from a few months to mid-fifties.  They raised $5,000 for the church.

The next family performance was for Donna’s church in Burbank, California, the success of which inspired the clan to do a show for Brigham Young University in Utah.  Yvonne obtained a video tape of that show, and after editing, set out to sell it to TV.  It was so good that ABC scheduled a “King Family” special for the network on August 29, 1964.  The overwhelming response to the special led to its programming as a weekly show.

Shortly after the show became a regular, the directors began to showcase the teens in the troupe, as the Top Twenty, and the kids’ innate talent and great personalities quickly drew a vast teen audience.