Peggy King, a 1950s singer and television star, died on Sunday after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 96.
King died at the Saunders House Assisted Living facility in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, according to Variety.
King’s publicist, Alan Eicher, confirmed her death.
King was a regular on the “George Gobel Show” from 1954 to 1957. Gobel called her “Pretty Perky Peggy King,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
King was nominated for an Emmy Award for best female singer in 1955, Variety reported. She performed “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)” at the 1955 Academy Awards, a song that appeared in the 1954 film, White Christmas. She also co-hosted the Emmy Awards show in 1958, according to the entertainment news website.
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. https://t.co/tPocrfget1 https://t.co/J18WByXxum
— Variety (@Variety) October 25, 2026
King sang on numerous variety television programs during the 1950s, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She appeared on “The Bob Hope Show,” “American Bandstand,” “The Steve Allen Show,” “The Jack Benny Program” and “The Perry Como Show.” She also guest-starred on television series including “Maverick” and “Dragnet,” the entertainment news website reported.
Some of King’s movie credits included “The Bad and the Beautiful,” in which she sang “Don’t Blame Me,” according to Variety. She also appeared in the 1955 horror-comedy, “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”
Her recordings featured best-selling albums such as “Wish Upon a Star” and “Girl Meets Boy.”
Billboard named her the best new singer for 1955–56.
King was born Feb. 16, 1930, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Variety reported. She graduated from Ravenna High School in Ohio and sang on radio in Cleveland, according to the entertainment news website.
In 2010, King was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 8, 1960, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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