Yvonne King Burch

Yvonne King Burch, who died in Santa Barbara, California after a fall on 20 December aged 89, gained early fame as one of the singing King Sisters in the big-band era and later brought her extended musical clan into show business as the King Family.

Burch spent three decades with the King Sisters, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1930s and 1940s. Over the years the group ranged in size from three to six members, all but one of them actually sisters.

The King Sisters, known for their complex and sophisticated four-part harmonies, performed with big bands led by Horace Heidt and Artie Shaw before starting their own ensemble with the guitarist Alvino Rey, who was married to Burch's sister Luise. They had a series of hits in the 1930s and '40s, including "Mairzy Doats" and "The Hut-Sut Song."