The Kaye Sisters

The Kaye Sisters were a trio of British pop singers, who scored several hits on the UK Singles Chart in the late 1950s and early 1960s.They were formed in 1954. These three young ladies were not sisters and didn't always call themselves sisters. The group were often billed as the "Three Kayes", or simply as the Kayes. However, they always went to enormous trouble to present themselves as identical to each other. With blonde fringe-cut hairdos and similar dresses they came across well. However they weren't related at all and even came from different parts of England. They took their name from their manager, a girl called Carmen Kaye whose inspiration and determination got them started. They were probably Britain's only serious rivals to the Beverley Sisters as a closely harmonising girl group. They had great popularity during the mid to late 1950s and were frequently seen on TV and in the charts. One of their best known numbers was recorded with Frankie Vaughan, and is one of few recordings where the featured singer's name is mentioned in the song title. A television appearance in 1956 rocketed them to stardom, and their first recording, "Ivory Tower", peaked at number 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Other singles followed, including "Got-Ta Have Something in the Bank, Frank" (1957), "Are You Ready, Freddy?" (1958) and "Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye" (1959). The trio were headliners in top London cabaret clubs such as Churchills and the Colony Club, and in variety supported such leading stars as Frankie Howerd, Tommy Cooper and Ken Dodd. They were popular in Blackpool summer seasons throughout the 1960s and 1970s, where they co-starred with Josef Locke, Dick Emery and, in two seasons, with Larry Grayson. The Kaye sisters reformed in 1988 for a new tour, culminating in an appearance at Brighton's Dome Theatre. They were then approached by the Glenn Miller Band to guest on its tour, singing Andrews Sisters numbers. In 1992 they returned to Blackpool to top the bill of the South Pier's Golden Showstoppers. Over the next nine years they appeared regularly with the Glenn and Herb Miller bands, making their last appearance in 1999. They appeared with Judy Garland in the 1957 Royal Variety Show, and in the United States appeared as guests on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Kaye Sisters were in demand in later years on nostalgia shows. In the 1970s they often appeared on Max Bygraves’ variety bills, notably co-starring with him in SingalongaMax at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1972. They recorded several albums, including Presenting the Kaye Sisters (1958) and Kaye Sisters Favourites (1960). Sheila Jones left the act in the late 1960s, but they carried on with a replacement, Gilly. Members: Carol Lindsey Young (born 12 April 1930, Oldham, Lancashire — died 20 August 2006, Brighton, East Sussex) Shirley 'Shan' Palmer (born 15 August 1938, Hull, Yorkshire) Sheila Jones (born 21 October 1936, Lewisham, London) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.