SONNY KING IS truly a legend of his own time and has probably performed with more stars than anyone else in the entertainment business.

Sonny started in show business when he was 15 years old, singing and as an MC at a Burlesque house in Hudson, NJ. He would do 7 shows a day, 6 nights a week for $60.00. Jack Carter was the comedian and Morty Amsterdam, the comic writer. He said you didn't really do much singing then, they were coming in to see the girls on stage.

Sonny has a long history with Jimmy Durante. He started working with Durante when he was 23 years old and their partnership lasted for 28 years.

Jimmy Durante had a great love for politicians and was very good friends with John F. Kennedy. They were playing in Lake Tahoe (Jimmy Durante, Sonny King and Peter Lawford), and Durante and Lawford went out but Sonny stayed in the room because of a headache. The phone rang and when Sonny answered it, it was John F Kennedy. He was calling to speak to Peter Lawford. He asked Sonny, how they were doing and asked Sonny if he would have Peter Lawford return the call. Before hanging up, he told Sonny to take care of the old man (meaning J. Durante) because you know how much I love him. As it turned out, it was 2 days before JFK was killed that Sonny spoke to him on the phone. They didn't work for weeks after that, because Durante was just devastated. Sonny felt that Durante was just an amazing man and a loving part of his life.

Sonny's father, George King, was also a singer and great entertainer. His father, his uncle (Joe King) and pianist (Jule Gould), were known as the 3 King Brothers. Jule Gould was the person that introduced Sonny to Frank Sinatra. Frank was just breaking into the business and was playing at the Capital Theater with Tommy Dorsey Band. Frank asked Sonny to sit with them and the rest is history. Sinatra always treated Sonny with respect and would never stand for anyone speaking badly about any of the Rat Pack. Sonny wrote a lot of Frank's one liners and jokes that Frank would use on Dean Martin during their act and Dean would say, "Where did you get that line," but Frank never would tell. Sonny had some unforgettable times with the Rat Pack. They were just like a beautiful, loving family. They were always together whenever possible and Frank had terry robes made with all their nicknames for when they were at the spa. Frank (pope), Dean (Sob), Sammy (Smokey Bear), Sonny (Lounge Giant), Peter Lawford (?). Frank was a very generous, caring and charitable person.

Sonny played with Jerry Lewis when Jerry and Dean broke up. Jerry and Dean were scheduled to do a show in the Catskills and Jerry was going to do it alone. But he called down to the Copa Cabanna where Sonny was playing and asked if they would send Sonny up to do the show with him. So, Sonny went up and did the show with Jerry for an hour and a half and not surprisingly it turned out to be hilarious.

Sonny King was an amazing man and a gentleman and there aren't many like him around anymore in today's world. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.