The Kim Sisters were a trio of singer-musicians who were the first Korean-American entertainers to gain commercial success in the US. Their mother was one of the most famous singers in South Korea before the Korean War.
The girls’ mother bought American records on the black market to teach her daughters to sing American songs. She also had them learn how to play multiple instruments.
What resulted was an incredible musical group who appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show over twenty times during their career. The girls not only sang with passion and power, but they were also master musicians.
In this video, The Kim Sisters perform “Up a Lazy River.” The sisters begin with instruments, one with a saxophone, one with an electric guitar, and the last with an upright bass.
The Kim Sisters are dressed in matching silk dresses and are sporting matching ponytails. They sing with great emotion and enthusiasm.
Their song, “Up a Lazy River,” is all about enjoying an afternoon, where the singer asks their lover to “Linger in the shade of a kind old tree / Throw away your troubles / Dream a dream with me.”
The Kim Sisters are an incredible group who passionately plays and sings together. Watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show is a great reminder of how important these women were in having more Asian American representation in entertainment.
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