An Interview with Sook-ja Kim - University Libraries

An Interview with Sook-ja Kim
An Oral History Conducted by Myoung-ja Lee Kwon
February - April 1996
Las Vegas Women in Gaming and Entertainment Oral History Project
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
1997
Production of An Interview with Sook-ja Kim was made possible in part by
a grant from the Nevada Humanities Committee.
©Myoung-ja Lee Kwon, 1997
Produced by:
Las Vegas Women in Gaming and Entertainment Oral History Project
Department of History, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89154-5020
Director: Joanne L. Goodwin Text Processor and Editor: Myoung-ja
Lee Kwon
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List of Illustrations
following page
Sook-ja at her home in Las Vegas, 1996 ................................................................. 1
Sook-ja's Father, Hai Sung Kim ............................................................................. 2
Sook-ja's Mother, Ran Yong Lee............................................................................. 2
The Kim Sisters as children performing in Korea circa 1952 .................................. 2
Sook-ja in front of her burned-down house in Korea, mid-1950s ......................... 9
Kim Sisters with their mother, Ran Yong Lee, outside Harrahs, Reno, 1964........16
Kim Sisters with their mother, Ran Yong Lee, at the tables, Reno, 1964...............16
Kim Sisters with Tommy McDonnell ......................................................................37
(from Jack Murray, Las Vegas: Zoomtown. USA (Las Vegas, 1962)
Kim Sisters on stage, Las Vegas ...........................................................................44
Preface
The Kim sisters, composed of three sisters, Sook-ja, Ai-ja, and Mia, came from
Korea to Las Vegas in February, 1959. Their first contract in American was to perform at
the Thunderbird Hotel for four weeks as part of the China Doll Revue, the main
showroom program. This engagement led them to a successful career. Their popularity
was at its height at the end of the 1960s when they performed throughout the United
States and Europe. Sook-ja Kim is the oldest of the Kim Sisters. After her sister Ai-ja
died in 1987, Sook-ja teamed up with her two brothers and continued to perform until
1989. Now semi-retired from show business, with occasional performances in Korea, she
is working as a real estate agent. In this interview, she talked about her childhood, her
career, and the family she has built since coming to America.
She was born in 1941 in Seoul, Korea as the third child of seven in a musical
family. Her father was a conductor and her mother, a popular singer. After the Korean
War, her mother arranged to send the Kim Sisters to America. When they came to Las
Vegas, there were virtually no Koreans in the area. They depended on each other to take
care of themselves. Some of the difficulties they had to adjust to in America were
language, food, and cultural differences. Over the span of almost forty years in America,
Sook-ja became acculturated without discarding her ethnic identity or family priorities. Her
life-long guiding principle has been to combine certain American values while continuing
to keep cherished Korean ethnic values.
Through their performances, the Kim Sisters informed the audience about Koreans
and their culture. As the oldest of the group, Sook-ja was entrusted the care of her
sisters, and later her brothers, the Kim Brothers. Once she settled in Las Vegas, she
brought more than 40 members of her extended family, contributing to the growth of the
Las Vegas Korean community.
Vll
An Interview with Sook-ja Kim
An Oral History Conducted by Myoung-ja Lee Kwon
February - April 1996
Vlll
This is Myoung-ja Lee Kwon interviewing Sook-ja Kim of the "Kim Sisters"
for the Las Vegas Women in Gaming and Entertainment Oral History Project at her
house at 3789 Meadow Crest, Las Vegas, Nevada on February 12, 1996. Thank
you so much for agreeing to interview with me and I wanted to reiterate that you
gave us permission to use the information that we are recording today for scholarly
and research activities. Thank you so much. I'm giving you this information, yes.
We were looking one of the programs that we did on Channel 10 and the oral
history project...
Could you just stop that for a minute?
As part of our oral history project it is important that we include so many different
kinds of people who lived in Las Vegas and contributed to the growth of the city and
would you tell me about, how you came to Las Vegas and what brought you and
how you...
How I started performing? That's
right, as "Kim Sisters."
Well, 1959 that we arrived in Las Vegas. I think it's January 20 that we had a show at
the Thunderbird Hotel at the time. We don't have the Thunderbird Hotel anymore.
That was our agent that who brought us to this country that he was producing a show at
the Thunderbird Hotel. Name of the show was "China Doll Revue" so, what
happened was, he came to Korea in 1958 to catch our show which we were
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performing for all of the GI shows, those days. So,
you were Kim Sisters when you were in Korea?
Yes, we started, I started singing, I was eight and my mother and my father,
naturally, you can see these pictures. My father was a symphony orchestra conductor,
composer, director and my mother was, actually, biggest, famous singer. / remember
your mom. Yi Nan-Young. Yes.
So, everybody knows my mother. So, she was entertaining GI troops that time with
her own group to feed us, actually, she had to support us by singing. One day she
came to us, says, "I'm going to form the Kim Sisters, three of you." Were you the
oldest?
I'm the oldest out of the three girls. So, "I want you to memorize the song," [she
told us.] We didn't speak English, we couldn't, we didn't even know where America
was.
So, you were supposed to sing in Korean?
In English. In English I mean.
We had to memorize. So, she will learn first then she will teach us this song that she
got, I don't know where she got this song, but, name of the first song we sang was
"Ole Buttermilk Sky." It's a country western song. We didn't even know there was
country western, but we know that was American song. So, we memorize, we sing
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for the GIs and all the GIs loved it, so, what happened was, they say, "more, more,
more!" We didn't learn next song. So, we came on again, we sang the same song
over and over again. But, they didn't care as long as we sang American song. But
that's how we started, to help our mother, to make it a little bit easier on her. So, how
old were your other sisters? You were eight?
I was eight, Aija was seven and Mia was six, actually. That's how little we were,
very, very, little. As a matter of fact, we started in 1954 in Korea.1 Until 1954 to
1958, we sang for the GI troops all the time. That's how we got to eat. Plain
language, that's how we survived. Sure, exactly.
Because our house was burned down to the ground during the war. So, all this show
we were performing, all the GIs were talking about the Kim Sisters are good. So, if
they go to America, they will make a lot of money. So, we didn't know where
America was, you know, we just, we were happy to sing for our mother and just that.
We loved the music. However, 1958, Tom Ball, our manager heard about the Kim
Sisters in Los Angeles, through one of the GIs that came back from Korea. He asked
agent who was also in Japan, named Dan Sawyer, which he lives in Las Vegas now. I
been friends with him for over 35 years. He told Tom Ball to go to Korea and take a
look at the Kim sisters. So, that's how Tom Ball came, but see, from '54 to '58, all
the American soldier would come to us, "I'll take you to America," so, we thought
one of these days, we're going to go to America. My mother knew that there
'Her calculation for their ages was incorrect. Sook-ja was born in 1941 which makes
her 13 years old in 1954.
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is a limitation in Korea, how much we could learn. She want us to go to America
and learn more about entertainment. That's how open she was. So, anyway, so
many GIs lied to us, not lied, it's a big responsibility.
They didn't know.
Big responsibility, now I understand.
Sure.
So, they would go back to America and we would never hear from them. So, we had
so many false hopes and disappointments. All right, so, that was until Tom Ball
showed up. He liked us. We signed a contract with him. That's when we came,
1959.
When you signed a contract with him, how did you understand the contract?
We didn't. We signed because my mother had to sign the contract.
Releasing you?
Yes, she had to sign all the contract. We had to go to America. We had to be at the
American Embassy, that's where we signed the contract. We were all under age.
We were too young, so she did all the signing and we came to America with her
consent, said, we could come.
So, she stayed and you came?
Yes, yes. She stayed in Korea. We had the rest of the family there. So, we just
came with three Sook-ja, Ai-ja, Min-ja. Then, there's a gentleman named Bob
McMackin was like a road manager type.
I see.
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So, he came and we got to know him.
How did you find him?
Well, he found us. He said let me be your road manager. So, he talked to Tom Ball
and he, and we, just, we couldn't even communicate. We couldn't speak English
anyway. That's how we came.
When you came to America, where did you come first?
First, we landed in Los Angeles and in Los Angeles everybody said you will see the
movie star walking around the street. So, we opened the window, we sat by the
window all day long and no movie star passed by.
Do you remember where you were?
Very well. It's like a Wilshire Boulevard, somewhere, little apartment and we sat
there, three of us, at the window looking for the movie star and we couldn't find one.
So, the next day we had to come. We drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. That
was the funny part. Our manager, Tom Ball, agent was driving, I think it was a
Cadillac, black car, whatever, through the desert, simply nothing there. We said,
"where are you taking us?" We didn't know where...
Were you scared?
No, we totally, we were too young to realize what's going on. So, we just sat in the
back of the seat and we said to each other, "I don't think that this is America, do
you?" We're saying in Korean. So, we got here, Las Vegas, and when the night
time, all that, you know, when the sun went down, we see the glitter and the light
and the hotel, O.K., there was...
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How many hotels were there?
Let me tell you. The Sahara was here. Thunderbird was here. Stardust was here.
Sands was here. Hacienda was here. I think that was it. That was it. The strip was
really empty then.
Empty, nothing. Just this hotel, El Rancho, that burned down, it was here. That's
about it. That's all I can remember. Where did you find a place to live?
O.K. Across the street from Saliara Hotel they had Robinson Apartments. We
stayed in the one bedroom, three of us, one living room and a kitchen. Did you
stay with a grown-up? No. Just the three of us. You took care of your younger
sisters?
Right. So we just, three of us, and our road manager were next store, apartment. So,
he kind of took us here and there, but that's where we stayed. Let me tell you how
much we got paid. We got paid a month, we signed a contract, $400 among three of
us, a month. We ate, we had a Robinson apartment, we send some money to Korea.
That was 36 years [ago]. That's how we started our career. How many shows did you,
would you tell me about, like where you started and what kind of performance you
did, how often?
Well, we were doing, actually, 1959 was all rock-and-roll. We sang all rock-androll. How did you learn all the songs?
Through the GIs. They gave us a donut [single] that played, you know. The
45,
Yeah, we memorized, we hear, we memorize, this is how we sing. But then, before
we left, my mother says to us, eight months before, she sat us down, first of all we
couldn't get the passport from here because our father was captured by North
Koreans, all right, so they have killed him among the other prisoners, however, we
didn't have accurate news how he died. So, therefore, Korean government, South
Korean government, would not give us visa to come to America. They were afraid,
they thought our father was alive and was active in North Korea. So, therefore, they
would not give us a visa. We had a very bad time. So, my mother did, I don't know
what she did and she got the visa and that's how we came. So, therefore, first of all,
coming to America was like, you could go to the sky and get the star out. That's how
hard it was. So, when we came here, first of all, it's just like a dream came true. We
could not believe that we were here. Then Thunderbird Hotel was all Oriental act,
like I told you before. "China Doll Revue," Chinese, Japanese, Korean, it's all
international show. We sang all rock-and-roll. Our part was to go on stage, do 30
minutes of our own act in the big production show. We did two shows a night for
four weeks. Now after the four weeks, the engagement was over. Either we got to
go back to Korea or somebody going to pick up the option. This is where we were.
That's right. I remember one day, we were rehearsing with the band. We brought
music from
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Korea and it's not precise, not like printed nice, you know how Korean... So
musicians were all laughing and looking down at us.
I see.
So, you know, as Koreans, we felt, oh my gosh, they're fingering at us. We don't
know the English, we don't know how to talk. So, we sat in the corner and cried.
That's all we did. Then one of the Japanese dancers that I never forget her face, she
will come to us and say, "Sue san, don't worry," she says, "some day you will be big
star." I didn't know what she was talking about at the time. So, she comforted us.
We were among the Chinese, Japanese, all these people, we performed two shows a
night. Then, Stardust Hotel, entertainment director came saw our show and picked
Kim Sisters out. We would like to have Kim Sisters at the Stardust Hotel. That's
how we began.
Because you didn't mention the Thunderbird part in the panel discussion. So, I
was all along, that you started at that point.
That's how Stardust came to pick us up, our option. We went directly from four
weeks Thunderbird to Stardust Hotel. We signed two weeks with an option and we
stayed there for eight and one-half months.
How often did you do..?
We did six shows a night. Thank God, we were young. We, all we did was we ate,
we worked, we rehearsed. The important part that I left, we are going back now,
Korea, is before we left, our mother says, "Sue, we're having a hard time, the
passport, you know, the visa, we're getting it. I want you girls to learn the
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instruments." All right? We didn't understand why. She said, "they have the
Maguire Sisters," which we copied in Korea, all their songs. They called us Korean
Maguire Sisters. Andrew Sisters, we copied them. So, my mother says, "those girls
do not play instruments. Just to sing you will not become successful in America."
Oh, how insightful.
Yes. So, I want you to learn the tenor sax, I want Ai-ja to learn alto sax, I want Mia
to learn drums. We didn't have a rehearsal. Our house was burned down to the
ground, but we had all burned-out brick wall changko [storage shack]. That's where
we rehearsed, in there. That's how we learned to play instruments and how well, how
right she was. So, when we came here, we played instrument so we were different
from Maguire Sister and Andrew Sister. This is why the Stardust picked us up. And
she says, you got to learn all Korean instruments. I remember, Kayakeum, Chang-ku,
Seungmoo-book [Korean traditional instruments].2 And the ballet, she said, I want
you to learn everything there is to learn. So, one time she gave us a bus ride, money,
and it would carry the Kayageum with us. Cold winter, so, we going to teacher,
Kayakeum teacher and we saw one of that Chinese mandoo [steamed rolls stuffed with
meat or vegetables] and, you know, glass 'kim yi murok murok naneun kot' [They saw
Chinese steamed rolls just coming out of the cooker steaming through the glass shop
window]. They look so delicious. I said, "you know what? We're going to walk and
we're going to buy that. This is how we survived. We got money
2
Kayakeum is a Korean traditional string instrument which requires a player sitting on
the floor while playing. Chang-ku and Seungmoo-book are drums that have straps so that a
player can carry them while played. They are usually played while a player dances at the same
time. They are used in Korean folk dancing.
\
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that she gave us. We ate that instead of riding on the bus. This is all my mother say
you got to learn. We were performing with a Kayakeum beginning.
So, did you bring Kayakeum here too?
Oh, yes and chang-ku and seungmoo-book, we brought all that. So, beginning of the
show, we would wear Korean costume which I will show you that picture. We would
wear the Korean costume. Inside we had a Chinese gown, so, after Kayageum we'd
take it off and then we'd do American songs. It looked really different. That's how
our career started to begin. So, my mother was right. When we were in the Stardust
Hotel, eight and one half months, we learned different instruments. Now, we learn
banjo. Now, we learn marimba. Now, we learn different instruments, one by one
that we rehearse. We did six shows, sleep, eat, we carry our own lunches in a makeup case. We didn't know what to make. Ai-ja got yellow hwang-dal [jaundice]. Oh,
jaundice.
Because we couldn't have kimchee. The food was a big battle. We could not get
kimchee in those days. We could not make it, we could not buy it. So, we were
literally sick about our food. We used to pick up the phone and cry to our mother.
We needed kimchee. She got sick, very bad. So, we would carry her on stage
because if she doesn't perform then we have to pack up and go back. We had no
choice. You know, the show must go on in show business. You know why? There's
no substitute in show business. It doesn't matter, you're sick or not, you got to be on.
So, this is why a lot of people asking me today, how could you be so mentally,
physically strong. It made me strong through the years. My business did.
1
1 Tell us, just to continue on, how you begin with the Stardust and what next?
How
you grew up? You were a child, you were children.
We were children, but, you know, we really, I don't even know how we grew up. I
don't even remember. All I know, the year that we worked 365 days, except for
traveling. We couldn't afford to stop working. While we're in the Stardust, now
we're going back, eight and one half months, Ed Sullivan came in. That was the big
break for us. So, Ed Sullivan came in and saw our act. At that time he had an
international show. Every country, he bring people. We were at the right time, right
place and timing was great. So, he saw our show. I'd like to have these girls on my
show. First show we did with Ed Sullivan, he brought all the crews to the Stardust
Hotel at the main showroom. That's where we performed. It was immediately, we
were a hit. Ai-ja played the base, big standard base. I played the tenor sax and Mia
played the drums. We sang, song the Maguire Sisters made the biggest hit,
"Sincerely." We sound just like them. You could not even tell, the sound was so
much like them, Maguire Sister. Even now, I hear our tape and I say to myself, gosh,
we sound just like them. This is beginning of our career, yes. So, when we got on
Ed Sullivan Show, naturally, those days, everybody close down the door and watch Ed
Sullivan.
That's right. Even in Korea we used to watch Ed Sullivan Show. Right, so, whole
country were nationwide watching Kim Sisters, just name spread. Vancouver, Chicago,
all these cities, "we want the Kim Sisters," so, booking was coming in. From Stardust
we went to Lake Tahoe. We performed at Lake Tahoe.
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From Lake Tahoe to Chicago. Now, no airplane, we drove. We drove, our road
manager drove, we sat in the car for three or four days. That's how we used to
travel.
So, road manager acted as if he were your legal guardian, in a way.
Yes, but you know sad part was with this man was? His name was Bob McMackin.
Sad part was we looked up to him in Korea, like God, but when we left with him, we
were so frightened. We couldn't give our affection to him. So, he just kind of, all
we think about is scared. This man's very scared, without our mother. So, we didn't
have such good relationship with this man. Now, if we'd have grown a little bit
more, we probably would have. All we knew was we can't have anything without
him. So, we couldn't speak English, we couldn't do anything business. He did
everything.
Was he a good person to take care of?
Yes, he was very good person but later on we found that he took advantage of us.
We had to end up to get rid of him. So, it got really ugly toward the end, but, that's
a different matter. So, we went to Chicago and, as a matter of fact, he's from
Chicago, road manager. He took us to the farm, his mother lives, which we like her
very much. They fed us, they were very, very good to us and we saw the farm, pig
and cow and all that. That's when the Life Magazine, right there. Life Magazine
wanted to do a Kim Sisters story. So, we took a photographer to the farm with us.
They shoot 2,500 pictures of us, including performances. Out of that, six pictures
appeared in the Life Magazine.
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What year was that?
1962. [verified as Feb. 22, 1960 issue of Life Magazine!
You were still just barely...
Yes, we were teenagers. So, all right, now Kim Sisters has a ponytail and they were
really, truly, American people didn't know from kimono, the Chinese dress, to
Korean dress. They all call it kimono, whatever we wore, you know that. So, we
used to wear Korean costume, 120 degrees in Las Vegas, 'Boson kaji sinko' [even
wearing cotton padded Korean socks] walking down trying to advertize, we are from
Korea. But you know what people said? "Oh, what a beautiful kimono! "It's not
kimono, it's a Korean dress! [we told them.] Nobody knew where Korea was at that
time. So, you know what we said? As we become famous, they will know
automatically where we're from. That's exactly what happened. Kim Sisters, where
they from? Korea. That's how that happened. See, even in the beginning, we could
tell them 100 times, this is not kimono. They would not know. They keep calling
kimono until we appeared in Ed Sullivan Show with Korean costume, with Korean
instrument, then they start to seeing it, oh, that's Korean. O.K. So, one Korean
called us like, we did more than even Korean Ambassador for the country at that time.
So, this is what they were saying.
So, Kim, tell me about how you managed to learn and get education while you are
doing the performing? Your English is so good. How did you learn to do that? Just
communicating with the people. You know, my children laugh at me. I think Korean,
you know, inside. Then I speak English and they crack so many jokes about
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me it's not even funny. So, one day I told my husband, you know what, my kids are
getting bigger, I want to learn the right English. So, I want to go to UNLV. Second
Language as English [English as Second Language], I want to learn. Do you know
what happened to me? The English is toughest language. The more I learned the
more I got confused. My English got worse. My husband says to me, I don't think
you should go to school any more. Your English is fine, don't go, you're totally
confused. I'll never forget that. What we did was, we watch T.V., we talked to
people, our job, we always had to talk to people and we had to learn how to speak
ourselves. That's what we did.
You did such a marvelous job.
Thank you.
Tell me about your family. Then how you...
Brothers?
Brothers and sisters and how you became, when you got married and your children?
Now then, 1963, as a matter of fact, my mother give me strict order, "you are the
older of the three girls, you girls, I don't allow you to date until you become 23. If I
tell you, someday you will understand," she said. "When you have men getting
involved in your life, [end of first side]
My mother says, "you're not allowed to date because when three girls, usually a
group break up when a man get involved between you." She was very wise woman
and I say that on tape. You will hear it. So, I obey that. Four years later, finally
my mother got the visa. She came over. Now, how that happen? We got in very,
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very closeness with Ed Sullivan, Mr. Ed Sullivan requested our mother is very well
known singer in Korea and she's coming in and would you give her a visa so she
could come over and sing, sing with us on your show. He says, "fine." So, he send
the visa, she came over. She was on the Ed Sullivan show, just my mother and three
of us. She toured with us eight months. She sing with us every night on stage. I
remember very clearly when we say our mother is in the audience, the audience would
automatically stand up and give her applause and she was like 90, like your size.
Such a tiny lady, came on stage and sang with us, eight months. Now she says to me,
"I'm going back to Korea." I says, "why? Why can't you stay with us here?" "You
have brothers. I'd like to form the group as 'Kim Brothers'. Send them over to
you."
So, you are the oldest of all?
No. We are seven children. I'm the third one, but my mother made me the leader of
the family. Her instinct was there that I was stronger minded, I took care of the
family and she gave me in a nice way that you would take care of your brothers and
sisters. So, that's how I got my responsibility for my family; however, she says to
me, I didn't even know after I left Korea, '59, that my brother was already singing. I
had no idea. They were going to school. You see, my brothers always talk about, I
remember, the Kim Sister, "you know, you are the leader, you send us money every
month. We went to school, we supposed to finish school but we didn't, we were
singing," and I didn't know that. So, my mother, when she went back, she send me a
tape of my brother playing saxophone. I listened probably 100 times and cried,
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cried, oh my gosh, my brother, this is my brother? I could not believe it. She says,
now, "I'm going back, I'm going to send them to you." So, I requested once again to
Ed Sullivan, my brother is singing for GI troops in Korea, they are ready to come
here and I would like to perform with them in the show, your show. O.K., he send a
visa. 1963, November, my mother left, she send the Kim Brothers. How Many?
Three, three brothers. I still have an older sister, older brother in Korea. Oh,
you do?
Yes, and six people here. 1963. So, she says to me, "this are your responsibility."
Now, I have five person on my shoulder. Yes, and you were barely twenty?
I think I was 21, yes, and it was hard. So, my mother says to me, you got to take
care of these brothers and sisters. O.K., whatever mother said, I did. 1964, my
mother passed away. She had a tough life. She passed away and I was supposed to go
home to funeral. We had a concert with Ed Sullivan. My manager called me in L.A.,
I had a ticket in my hand, all my, you know, family, and my brother calls me, "are
you coming to the funeral?" I'm sitting there on that table with my manager, crying
my eyes out, what do I do? If I go back Korea, I might not come back. Those days of
visa... Because of visa?
Yes. So, my manager says, if your mother was alive, what she would want you to do?
Go and perform.
17
You knew.
That was difficult, the hardest decision in my life that I had to make because the
Korean people think I'm disrespectful, but I have five persons to support. What am I
supposed to do? So, my manager finally got into my head that I had to go to New
York and perform for my brothers and keep going on. We make name for ourselves.
So, your base was where? In Las Vegas?
Las Vegas was our, we had a little co-op. We bought a little co-op apartment on
Cincinnati, 331 West Cincinnati, bad neighborhood now. I don't think it's a good
neighborhood. Something changed to something totally, little apartment we had.
So, you managed your brothers and sisters?
Everybody, all that, yes. So, now I had to become a Kim Brothers manager.
So, when your brothers came, you became a manager. Did you face any kind of
difficulties acting as a manager and a..?
Only thing that I will say that difficult, wasn't that difficult because we already had a
name, Kim Sisters. So, they will hire my brothers expecting they're like us, but it
wasn't. One day, we are sitting at that Riviera Hotel lounge, I booked them over
there, lounge, and we sit there. Nobody was there, but three of us applauding. I
thought they were the greatest. They were not, but.. [laughter] and my manager
always talk about, "you should have seen Sue, Mia and Ai-ja, they thought they were
the greatest, they were applauding." We laugh about this. When Kim Brothers came
in New York hotel that all the funny thing happened that they couldn't speak English
and they would order spaghetti. I told them to, if we go to work, they going to be
18
alone in the hotel, so, what we do, if we hungry, so dial the room service and order
it and one time they order spaghetti and I don't know what they did, they kept
ordering it because it didn't come. So, nine, twelve spaghetti came at one time in the
hotel room and all these funny things happening, you know, so, I mean, we just, even
now we sit down and we talk about past and we laugh. But, it wasn't easy, but, it
wasn't that hard. They were coming just foot step after us.
And by the time they came, you were, more or less, settled in American way and
you understood a lot better.
Yes, we had a contract with the Stardust. Every year we would perform here eight
and one-half months.
/ see, so then, after that then the rest of the year was yours traveling. So, you had
to make sure that...
Kim Brothers was taken care of. In '65, I met my husband. 1965 we were appearing
at the Americana Hotel. He came to see our show and he came every night for eight
days straight with a different woman and sat and watched us. I knew that he liked
one of us, I don't know which one. [laugh] That was my real life started. So, I met
him and I had like five dinners, different places, then I had to go to Europe. See, in
our job, we meet a man, but by the time we find out what kind of man he is, we have
to say good-bye. We have to keep going and I will not take anybody those years
before my family because my family was important to me.
How did you explain to your man?
I didn't. I didn't, if you want to take us to dinner of something, take me for dinner,
19
either you got to take all three of us. Oh, no, and nobody goes. That was our set
rule. Then when I met my husband, I told him the five dinner we had and I had to
go to Europe. We had to go to Italy, Monte Carlo, Spain, Paris, we perform all over
there. So, I said good-bye and he thought that was the end of it, our relationship,
you know. Then when I went to Milano, something was there that I liked this man so
much that I called him. It took me...
From Milano. That time it was real...
Three and one-half days it took me, but I got through. So, when he got the call from
me, he's thinking was changing. Oh, maybe, I thought it was, everything was, you
know, done, but I guess...
How old were you?
Let's see, '65? 24, yes.
Then, that time, yes.
So, we went out, John and I seeing each other now. I can't come to him because I
was performing. He came every city, every weekend.
Wow!
All over.
Wow! What a...
Romantic. He's a really, really, and every time I go to different city there was
flowers waiting for me from him and he flew everywhere to see me. You name it.
What does he do, what did he do then?
He was doing at the time, he was working with his father manufacturing sporting
20
goods. So, he kind of had his own business. I could see them now. He'd be able to
get away on weekend, but the flower bill and the airplane bill, I thought, look at all
the money he spent. He said, "I could have been millionaire." So, even he come to
New Orleans. We hit the "Patsy Hurricane," 1965, he was there for me. So, that's
the only way that we made it. If he didn't come, we probably wouldn't be together
today.
So, when did you get married?
1968.
Oh, so it took you for a while.
My sister got married 1967, both of them.
Oh, you made sure that your sister were married?
Yes. It was my, you know, goal that I send my sisters first, then I be last one.
But, you still performed as a group and you...?
Yes. It was difficult because once my sisters got involved with men, they both were
drummers. They wanted to come into our act, but I knew, my mother told me,
"don't ever put the men in your, you know, groups." You know what I told them, I
can't hire either one of you because you're both drummers. So, I'm sorry, we hire
somebody else. This is why we kept going. And I told my husband when I met him,
"do not interfere with my business." We had a very clear understanding. He never
wanted to anyway. He had his own business. So, this is why we kept going on
because, now, three becomes six. Too hard to do business and my mother was right.
My mother was very wise. That's what we did. Nobody can come into the Kim
21
Sister group.
So, how long did you have a contract with the Stardust?
Fifteen years.
So, that would be?
1974 was the last year.
Was that before Stardust became a corporation?
Before, right before. Then we went to the Las Vegas Hilton. I have a picture with
that. Elvis Presley was performing main showroom, we were at the lounge. That
was 1975. We were there until 1980 at Hilton. Then from '80, we went to Holiday
Casino. We were there eleven years, until '91.
What are you doing now?
Well, now that I, kind of, semi-retired, I don't work all the time. I don't want to
work all the time. So, I go to Korea and do a couple of concerts.
When you say I, that is still Kim sisters?
No. Me and my two brothers. See, I lost Ai-ja, 1987.
She was sick, wasn't she?
She was very sick. She had lung cancer. So, I lost her. Then my, Mia, we had
kind of a family feud, like I said, husband step in. So, we got very tough situation
got in to, she bow out. She just moved to L. A., she settle down. I was alone, my
brother says, "you get too old too fast. Let's go to work." So, I team up with my
brothers. That's the tape you're going to see.
/ see, that is great. I wanted to ask you, did you see any difference in your work
22
environment when Las Vegas Casinos became corporations? That was a...
Big changes.
How was it? How was that change?
I would say, before corporations took over this town, there was demand for
entertainment. The people, high roller, " we say, we want to see the entertainment."
See? They would pay any kind of price for that. Then, also, big stars were getting a
lot of money, including us. The entertainment was the main attraction. Gambling was
the second, but when the corporation took over, they made gambling first,
entertainment, there's no demand for entertainment. I tell you another reason why.
These big stars, knock out themselves out of the box. They were asking too much
money. Corporation can't afford to pay that kind of money. $400,000 a week. Where
they going to get this kind of money? Now high rollers all gone. You're dealing
with all slot machines. All the family people are coming, more and more. They had to
change it. There is no other way in the city. So, that's the only way that this city got
big. We're talking about high rollers, hand full of high rollers, right? So, the hotel
gave them everything. Food for free, entertainment, everything free. They could
afford to do that, but when you're dealing with a dollar machine, you got to get all the
dollars and people, all those, you can't give them $400,000 a week. So, they were
smart, they say, now we're going to make a buffet star. Am I right? That's why we
change. Yes, I think so. On the marquee you see, Frank Sinatra, Cher, don't have
that any more, buffet for
23
$3.99, steak and lobster for $7.77, why? They want to bring these people, drop the
dollar in the machine, isn't it? They change everything. And, I also blame on a lot of
big entertainers. They can't afford them and they know that now. So, what they do?
They got the production show. Just the people to go somewhere and get up from
gambling or just go into entertain themselves. So, they put little acts there and there,
boom. Now, the show was fairly enjoyable, that's all. That's it.
That's how it changed.
In terms of treatment that you received, were you expected, after you got out of
teenage years and when you became adults, were you expected to sort of socialize
after the show or was that kind of thing?
We never had a social, socializing with anybody. First of all, we had a bad
experience. When we came here from Chicago, when we get second engagement, then
they invited us to one party. So, our manager says we got to go because you got to
advertise. So, we wore Korean gowns and go to this party. You know what party
was? You know the playboy's mansion? O.K., that was a big party in those days. So,
we walked in, we see Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., you name it, everybody was
there. Then we walked in and we were kind of scared. We're standing in the corner,
we see this huge water tank, naked women swimming. I'll never forget that. We hide
in the bathroom, we will not come out of that room, O. K.? This is what called
party? We will never go to party again. So, that was that. We got through out the
years so many invitations and it's funny because, of the language barrier, we
24
could not communicate with these people. Let me tell you, when you look at them,
they have a drink in one hand, they talk, they're eyes are all over. Even as young as
we were, it looked phony to me. We couldn't bare to deal with that, you know. So,
luckily, we had always three of us together, we didn't need anybody. Let's put it that
way. So, we perform and wherever we go we had no social life. We were, first
thing we were worried about, what kind of room we're perform. Second, what kind
of sound, what kind of light. If these three were satisfaction, we were happiest
people. That was it. There's no social life.
/ see. Now, tell me about, how many children do you have and how do you interact
with your children ?
I have two children. Son, 24, name is Anthony Bonifazio who plays professional
baseball with Milwaukee and he's ready to check in for spring training, Arizona State
with Milwaukee and he's going to stay with Milwaukee. My daughter, 18, as a matter
of fact, I bought that piano when I was pregnant with her, three months, and I said, I
want to teach my daughter how to play piano, but it never worked out that way. She
plays by ear but she, we, I didn't share them to music because I know what kind of
dedication, desire, you got to like it, even then, it was hard for me. So, this show
business is not easy. Just like professional baseball. You got to have a desire.
Without that, you will never make it. So, for me, if I saw the spark when they were
young, they want to do it, I probably would have pushed them, but, being married to a
husband who totally opposite of show business, environment they grew up is totally
different. So, my husband lean to sports with my son and my daughter,
25
she want to play on piano, I hired a teacher. She wanted to stop, it's O.K. She
wanted to learn the tennis, yes, you'd think, anything she wanted to do, it was O.K.
by me. Now, you know what she said, I took her to Korea, July, you going to see
her in the audience. She standing and take bow the audience. She says to me,
"Mom, I know it's hard work, but you guys," which means me and my brothers,
"having such a great time on stage that why didn't you push me?" I says to her, "you
know, Marisa, her name is Marisa, Marisa, we look that enjoyable but do you know
how hard we work?" That's right. It is work for us, right?
So, she realize it. It's a tough work and yet she says, "Mom, do you really enjoy that
much? It seems, look like." I say, yes. When I'm with my own family, which is my
brothers, they keep me going. They make me laugh. We talk about old times. We are,
we know where we're from, you know. Even now, I play golf with all these ladies,
"how come I never hear you complaining, anything about?" I said, "you know, if you
knew where I came from, this is like a dream came true for me." This sort of leads to
my next question. It will be almost, you know, we are done with, I don't want to
take much of your time. Image as you created, as an entertainer and as a woman,
how do you perceive yourself and how do you feel about the image you created?
Well, I feel the image means, to me, I don't want to show any different images
towards anybody that I have more than anybody. That's not my image at all. Number
two, that I always let them know where I come from. I was not born here
26
and I was not spoiled. I come from nothing and I came to this country with God's
help and my mother's and I feel that I am so fortunate to be here in U.S.A. and I've
been around the world three times and I've seen it all, but there is no place like
U.S.A. and this is honest truth. Unfortunately, people who been living here all their
lives, they didn't go anywhere. It's hard for them to visualize what it's like to me. I
feel bad for them but they don't know any better. You following me? So, I cannot
say they wrong, they right, but my image of America was more than I even dreamt
about, you know, and I would like to show everybody as a mother, as a woman, as
performer, that all I know is that I am grateful. You are very humble.
I have to be, because, not because I want to be, but I've seen it all. I experienced it. I
met millions, millions of people and I know, even now, that the Korean people, one
lady held my hand after the show, "would you please come once a year here? You
don't understand, when you guys perform on stage, what that do to us. We need that
and before you get too old, that you cannot do anymore, would you please." See, I
stop and thought about that. And, I talked to my mom, I make my own tape
sometime, I talk to my mom and my father and I says, look, I didn't, I couldn't have
come to do this show because I had automobile accident, twice, so I hurt my neck and
I hurt my back, so, I almost canceled that. But, when my brother called me up, says,
"this is the show for our parents," I said, "I have to do that." My husband, we had a
big argument. He would not let me go. "You're going to kill yourself," but I said,
"you know, honey, I remember as child, my mother perform all her life, even she
27
was pregnant like this. She was sick as dog, she would go on stage and perform. I
remember that so clearly. So, if God is good to me, I will pull this through."
You know you have.
I did. After the show was over, that I just laying in my, in a bed, I took my tape
recorder and I was talking to my mom. I said, "mom, you worked so hard for us to
be where we are today and we are here to perform for you and see your name is still
carried on." This is why that I would like to give my image to my children. It is,
you know, image, it's kind of, in a way, it's a funny word, but that's what I want my
children to have. This was my mom. This was how she operate her life. This is
very, very important image for them to have.
This is very personal, too, you know? It is. I want to just stop this tape because I
think it is going, almost done and I want to ask you [out of tape]. We understand
thai olden days, black entertainers have a different entrance to go into and they
were only allowed to certain areas. Did you experience any kind of discrimination
because you were Asians or how would you describe your experience or what you
have perceived?
I heard, I saw history of what black people went through and I sympathize with them.
It was tough, but fortunately, we never, ever had that experience. Number one why,
we are performers. You know, it's a strange thing that when you perform on stage
and people are sitting there, watching you, they are so, how do you say, into, plain
language, into what you're doing. Their image, now we're talking about image of
thinking of us one step higher. How could these girls, how could they have so much
28
talent? Now, I cannot even fry, frying pan or make a sound, 3 this is the majority of
people talk after our show. So, we were just singing, standing and singing and they
sit there hour about we're singing and they go, oh, that was O. K. Maybe there were
some people, prejudice people, would say something, but when we finish our act, one
hour, they don't even have time to breath. Then, when we get off stage, they're
overwhelmed. People just overwhelmed. So, we never, ever had any of that type of,
you know, that racial problem, anything like that.
But, have you witnessed it, any.. ?
Never.
O.K.
That's the very lucky part. I said, I don't think I could handle it, but I do know all
my family, the majority of family, came here. I brought them one by one. We have
like 45 relatives living in Las Vegas.
Have you now?
Yes, from family to family to family. Everyone of them got a job through my
husband. See, he was vice-president of Sahara Hotel for twenty years. So, through
him, all of them got as dealing jobs and he said out of all the people working for him,
Korean people is the hardest worker. They all want to better themselves. I surely
believe that, but through all of these people working at the casino, yes, I heard so
much about it, racism going on. They were told, "where you come from? why don't
you go back where you come from," things like that. When they lose money, so, I
3
It is a Korean expression to describe something very easy. When you have two frying
pans together you can make sound or noise without trying very hard.
29
heard so many times...
But you think because you are entertainers..?
Personally, we never, ever had experienced it which I was very, very grateful. I
don't know how I would react if that happened to me. But, I never had that
experience. I never even had anybody saying nasty about Korean War, which I was
very surprised. Somebody would have lost their son, you know, but I never had that
experience. I was very fortunate on that.
So then, when, what would you think that Koreans, when they come to America,
what do you think that Koreans should keep in mind or how they should learn or, do
you have any kind of suggestions?
I don't have any suggestion but I do know one thing, that I lived my live this way, so
I can talk about it. I said, I'm in America, I've seen how they raise children ana I
also have children I've raised myself and my husband. If it was me, I would raise
them a little bit different. Not that I have complaints about our children. We have
good kids, knock on wood, but, what happens is that American people, the way they
raise children, I'm not really happy about it. What I do, I take the good part, see in
Korean people, when they want to scold them, like 'yadan chi neun kot' [Korean way
of scolding], they don't listen to them first. They just scold them. What Korean
people has to learn, something happen to the children, I know you worry, I know you
love them, you got to give them chance to explain. This is the part that is very
important, Korean people as parents to learn. American people should be a little bit
more strict. They're too much of a free. So, I will take both sides, best, so, I will
30
walk around with my son and the son, little kids says, "Anthony, you know, if it was
me what I would do to that kid?" "Yeah, ma, you would break a wooden spoon on
me, six of them." I remember that. So, those are the type of things that I see even
on T.V. Oh, they're free, sixteen year old. What the heck they know?
/ know, but some of them are...
Really, really sad. Now those type of things, I would think, gosh, you know, they
would do a little bit bad. As a Korean, I've been living here for 36 years, that I
would try to work it that way, the best custom from my country, best from America,
that work it together. This is what I've been doing as a personal experience.
Do you work with the Korean communities a lot?
Not really. I tell you why. I will go special, you know, function, benefit, something
like that, they call me and I will be. I am married to an old-fashioned Italian man.
O.K.? There is some problems I had because he's proud of me and he married me.
I'm Korean, but it's hard for him to understand that I will get out of this house, going
to doing some other work besides in the household. I even had a hard time since I'm
married working with my family. This is a well known fact so I'm telling you. All
my family knows this. He hates me to go on stage. So, I've been fighting a battle
with him all these years.
But you must have his understanding that, you know, this is how it has to be?
No, he's not as understanding, I demand. That part, I demand on my husband, this is
my life, you marry me, you have to respect what I respect. I'm going to give you
like it or not, I'm going to work with my brothers. It has been that way for many
3
1 years. So, now, throughout all those years, he kind of got used to it.
But he doesn't like it?
He doesn't like it. I have my mother-in-law living with me. Excuse me [phone is
ringing]. First of all, I was attracted to my husband, reason why, he's old-fashioned
Italian. He had same quality as Korean people, take care of his elderly people, which
is their parents. I was attracted to that, very important. So, when she lost her
husband, 1972, she's been living with me ever since. Not easy, you know, shi
omoni [mother-in-law], it's not easy. It's getting harder as I'm getting older because
she has a habit of telling me what to do. You see, I accept that with my mouth closed
because I respect elderly people. But, as I'm getting older, I want to bust up, you
know what I mean, I want to tell her off. It's hard. So, living in the same house for
so many years, it's very hard and all my American girlfriends think I'm insane, living
with a mother-in-law for so long. But, I do it because my husband with her to be in
this house, so I have to respect that.
That's right and I think that's how your marriage is affected for, you know, too,
he's been...
And also, he's been having my family, vice-versa, so, this is how it works. I don't
like it, but nothing I can do, so therefore, see, my husband is totally Italian. This is
how he brought up, grew up. So, I know where he's coming from, more and more,
since I'm living with his mother. That's the way it is.
Sue, now that you been living with your husband, your married life is with a man
other than Korean man, do you feel that you lost some of Korean value or do you
32
feel you're complementing Korean value with Italian or whatever his background
is?
Yes, I felt many times I lost Korean value. Yes, I do.
Tell me a little bit about that.
First of all, because I never knew Korean men, I never even had a date. When we
came to America we were too young anyway. My mother wouldn't allow it. So, I'm
not missing that part, that I didn't date or whatever, like that, but I have my brothers,
that I know how they, they're married to Korean women, how they get along together.
So, they all married to Korean women? How about your sisters?
My sister was married to Korean man. So, you're the only one
who married...?
Yes, and there are time that I cannot ask any better husband than I have today. I
realize that, but there are times, many times, that maybe I should have married
Korean. But, I would have gotten involved more with Korean, I would have gotten
more for Korean Society, you know, this kind of, how do you say that word? That I
could have done it, you know. All these things come on, but then, I sit back and
think about it. What does a woman really want? Good foundation, good household,
good children. So, you're a big success for outside, with Korean community,
whatever, your insides crumble, what good is it? See, I compromise myself. There
are times I feel sorry, then I bring it up and this, something got to give. You can't
have everything. That is not possible, so, if I was man, I would have gone a little bit
33
stronger for my career. Many people got bigger than we are, but because I'm a
woman, I had to take a second.
You do feel that because you are a woman, that women...
Married to, yes...
Yes, and married to...
Yes, if he was Korean man, I'm sure that he would hold my hand and do together,
whatever. I've been here 36 years and I don't even communicate with a lot of
Koreans other than my family. I make sure that I stay with my family, close, but
other than that, I don't really communicate at all. So, because my husband is so
strong, that he's kind of a possessive, all the time like this and sometimes I get really
tired, you know.
Yes, I noticed that when I called you that night, he was asking me, "did you know
Sue? or something like, did she know who you are, or something?" So, I said, "I
met her long, long time ago. *
Yes.
Just a last question about, since you lived in Las Vegas for so long, how has the
community changed, in general, not just Korean community, but you're world?
Like in entertainment world?
That's right, and...
I feel kind of sad. In entertainment, the world is crumbling. Not any more the
young generation, really, even from Korea, I don't see any coming out here.
Why do you think that?
34
I don't know. It could be generation, see, when our parents taught us, you're going
to be singing, you're going to be doing this, you're going to become successful, we
did. But, today's generation, that's what you wish, that's not what I want. Plain
language, that's not what I want, see. They separate that, totally. So, even you
know as parents, you take a part, I want to push them, I want to make them star.
There is a long time ago a movie star in America, too. They would say, "he has
quality, we want to make him star." It happened. Today, "who are you? I do what I
want." The whole thing is different. Therefore, that all the music, sad, I don't like
today's music. I'm sorry. It has no meaning to it and it just that, horrible to me.
And I always tell my daughter, "you call that music?" She laughs, you know. So,
everything in my world is not, I can say, yeah, it's getting better. It's not getting
better. It's disappearing, as a matter of fact. Nobody to come from Korea to carry
on what we did here so many years ago. I went to Korea, I look at it. There's no
young generation coming out. No way. I told my husband one day, I wanted to work
here. I'm looking to work in September, my brothers coming back from Korea. So, I
said, I want to look for a working place here. He says, "what for?" I says, "honey,
let me tell you something, people want our act. They want to see us. They want to
be entertained by us." This is 40 years of saving. We worked hard 40 years. God
given talent we have. If I could do it, why shouldn't I work? So, when do you think
you will start looking?
Well, I'm looking into September, October, so, I'm looking around right now and I
have hope that I want to produce a Korean show in this town. That's what I want
35
because we already have star act which is us. We are the star act. Last like a 40
minutes, we can do the show. So, all we need is sixteen dancers, Korean, beautiful
Korean gown and, see, this is what I want. I told my husband four days ago. We
haven't produced an oriental show, Korean show here in a long time. It's about time.
He says, "you want to be baby sitter for sixteen ladies from Korea, can't even speak
English?" He says, "didn't you (have) enough?" That's the first thing he told me.
So, I says to my brother, you know, I want to do it, but I would be happy to do it if
my husband says, "yeah, it's exciting. Let's go for it!" Every time I suggest
something, he goes, you going to do it? I go, oh boy, you know, just dropping my
shoulder I says, "I'm sorry I asked you." / hope you make that and I will definitely
be there.
That would be wonderful if I do that. I have to hold my life style for everything.
That's right, to make that happen.
Yes, to make that happen, but if I really wanted to do it, I know my husband will help
me.
Great, that's great. Thank you so much. Just to finish it off, I'm going to say, this
is the end of the tape, interviewing Sook-ja Kim on February 12, 1996. Thank you
very much.
This is Myoungja Lee Kwon interviewing Sook-ja Kim of the "Kim Sisters"
for the Las Vegas Women in Gaming and Entertainment Oral History Project at her
house at 3789 Meadow Crest, Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the second interview
session on April 6, 1996.
Sook-ja, thank you so much for agreeing to interview one more time with your busy
schedule. My pleasure.
/ would like to again reiterate that you signed an agreement for us to use this
interview materials for scholarly and research activities. Sure, it's my pleasure.
Thank you. After the first interview, I did some research going through newspapers
and I found a very interesting aspect of some of the show business. One of the
questions that I would like to follow through is your understanding of Asian show
productions at that time. A couple of names were mentioned. One is "Holiday in
Japan " and "Philippine Festival" and the show "China Doll Revue" you were in.
Yes, "China Doll Revue," that was the show that we were assigned to perform, four
weeks, at the Thunderbird Hotel that does not exist anymore. That was the hotel, we
were in the showroom, main showroom and we sign four week contract with option,
that's how we came. But, right after that, 1960, I think, "Holiday in Japan," they
came to the Frontier Hotel. That's how I remember. Did "China Doll Revue " last
long after you left?
37
No. "China Doll Revue" was only there for a month, four weeks, at Thunderbird
Hotel. Then, while we are doing the "China Doll Revue" Stardust, Tommy, the
name entertainment director was at that time, his name was Tommy McDonnell, I
think. He came and watched us at the Thunderbird Hotel, then he's the one who
talked to our agent Tom Ball and they both agree to, as soon as the show is over, that
we go to Stardust Hotel. That's how we came about. This is a picture of...
You're right, you got it. Oh, my gosh, I can't believe that you got this. Tommy
McDonnell.
This was a picture that I found in a book called Zoom Town Las Vegas and that was
published in 1962. Gosh, I would like to have that. / will give you the copy of that.
You know, this picture was taken, I'll tell you exactly when, I remember like a flash
back, we did a first Ed Sullivan Show at the Stardust showroom and Mr. McDonnell
came and he would like to take picture with us. I remember this dress. That's the
dress we wore first show with Ed Sullivan Show. I can't believe it, wow. Going back
to our interest in the shows that Asians were involved in, was there some kind of
increased interest [in Asian performers]? Do you have any kind of a feeling about
that?
You know, I don't know because what happened was, when we started working at the
Stardust, [the] word was spreading at the time. I remember, the Kim sisters, where
Tommy McDonnell and the delightful Kim Sisters
38
they from? They from Korea. People will say, they are excellent, or good show,
whatever. So, word was getting out very, very, I mean, rapidly, you know very fast.
Then, next thing we know, someone brought the Japanese, that show next door to
New Frontier Hotel. They came right following that. Then after that they had [a
group of] five Japanese girls who did exactly same thing as we did. Do you know the
name?
Yes, "Tokyo Happy Coats." They came, all right. So, what happened was, those
girls, I would say that they are equally talented as we were. However, American
people could not tell the difference. So, whenever they ['Tokyo Happy Coats"]
appear, they [Americans] call them "Kim Sisters." They could not get on with their
own name. They go on the TV show, everybody will come to us, oh, we saw you
girls last night. So, they were on many TV shows or appearing [other] places, they
were called "Kim Sisters." They couldn't tell the difference because they sang, they
play the same instruments we did. So, American people automatically thought, oh, so
we are the same people. Then I say, "how many did you see?" and they go, "five."
That's not us, we only three. How could you [get] mixed up with that, you know.
This is what we going through all the way, many, many years. So, they never
became [as] big as we were at that time because people just get too confused. After
about ten years of work they, you know, they got married and they quit, however, that
was the case. So, there's "Tokyo Happy Coats," Holiday Casino, we were there, then
there were Philippine group, came right after us, "Sunspot." They [are] still working.
They were here. There [was] one singer came from Korea, Patty Kim
39
tried, [but] never made it. Yes, she came and she tried like a two week engagement.
Where did she play?
She played a little lounge, we had a little lounge at the Aladdin Hotel now. I don't
know at that time what they call it. She came a lot later, but she tried. So, that's
about it. Then, "Korean Kittens." "Korean Kittens" came much later. So, [that]
was Seventies they came.
Do you know any of the "Korean Kittens?"
Yes.
Do they live in Las Vegas?
Yes, [one of] "Korean Kittens" living in Las Vegas, you know that. I thought
someone told me one is living, but I know most of them are not in Las Vegas. There
were four girls. One is in Korea, I remember, and not that I know of really.
Where did they play?
They played at the, let's see, at that time, was it still Thunderbird or El Rancho, I'm
not so sure. They change the name El Rancho, El Rancho, yeah, that was later. But,
it was Thunderbird Hotel, in the lounge, they were in the lounge. So, when they
came, they contacted me right away. So, I remember, I made a, someone made a
kimchee for me. I took it to the dressing room because I knew how much they
missed it, the same as we were. So, I remember that ["Korean Kittens"] were at the
Thunderbird Hotel. Same hotel in the lounge. Those are the only Oriental groups that
I remember.
/ don't really think that they were big, but I was just a little bit curious as to how
40
many were there or whether there was any kind of a reason, a demand for.
I don't think it was a demand, I think at that time, timing was right. People did
watch a lot of Oriental show and they needed it, all different nationality in Las Vegas
to perform. Then, of course, we cannot forget the "Kim Brothers." We brought the
"Kim Brothers" in 1963. So, they were here, too. They were at the Flamingo
Hilton. So, right now, Flamingo Hilton but at that time was just Flamingo. They
were in the lounge. There were a lot, I remember, there were a lot of Oriental group
that were all the way around, those days, I remember that. It was not demand, we
v
just were popular. The people watch any kind of act, those days. That's very
interesting. One of the questions that I needed to have a clear understanding of
is your arrangement, all of the bookings that you were able to acquire and go to
different cities and other countries. How was that arranged?
There was our manager, agent, Mr. Tom Ball. O.K., we had a personal manager
when we came in this country, Bob McMackin, and he came with us. Then, one of
my friends that I met, Japanese lady, her name is Mona, found out that Bob
McMackin was taking advantage of us. I don't know how true that is. Now, it's
questionable. She told me to "get rid of him because he is taking advantage of you."
So, when we decided to finish with him, we had to pay him $45,000 at that time.
When was that?
It was 1963. That was a lot of money. It's like $400,000 today's money. So, what
he did, he bought a property at that time. He become a multi-millionaire now. He
lives here. Yesterday, one of my tenants, this is very interesting story, one of my
41
tenants call me, says, "guess what, I'm working for who?" I says, who you working
for, he says, "I just got a job as a food and beverage manager for Royal something
casino and when I went there [I] saw this Life Magazine. 1962, Life Magazine on the
table." So, he says to Bob McMackin, the owner, "what is this Life Magazine doing
there?" "So, he showed me you girls in the Life Magazine." which I gave you[
addressing interviewer]. "So, what is the connection here?" He said, "I was the one
who was personal manager." When he told me, I just, my jaw just dropped. I says,
it's a small world. You got to be kidding me. So, we were talking about it
yesterday. When we finish with Bob McMackin, then Tom Ball, our agent, took
over. Personal manager and agent combined.
Would you explain a little bit about the difference between the role of Tom Ball and
Bob McMckin?
O.K., Bob McMackin was a friend of Dan Sawyer. [Tom Ball was] his [Sawyer's]
agent in Japan. So, they [McMackin and Sawyer] were friends for a long time. They
were going back and forth and I think Bob McMackin did some kind of a business in
Korea. Yi Tae-won [a district in Seoul where foreigners predominantly reside], they
used to live there. Then Sawyer told Bob McMackin, there's a Tom Ball, agent is
coming in town to look at the "Kim Sisters." We were friends with Bob McMackin.
He promised us that he would bring us to America. But, he had no way to bring us,
he had no money. He was waiting for Tom Ball to come. So, Tom Ball is the one
who signed the contract with Bob McMackin. He send us tickets.
42
Does Tom Ball have a business name?
Yes. He had a "China Doll Revue." He was the producer. Then he also had the
"Geisha Revue" at the Desert Inn Hotel. That's how he met his wife, Seiko.
However, that's how Bob McMackin got hold of Tom Ball and Tom Ball is the one
who paid us and paid Bob McMackin to come to America. That's how we came with
Bob McMackin.
After Tom Ball took over, did it make any difference in your pay? No.
Nothing was different.
So, Bob McMackin was sort of intermediary between Tom and you.
Yes. He was. He got paid by?
Us. He got paid by us as a personal manager. Then we paid him and we pay Tom
Ball, so, there's a agent, there's personal manager. That's how it happened. / would
like to ask you a little bit about your pay scale compared to other entertainment,
about same level or how? Have you had an understanding about your pay is
higher, lower or right?
Our pay was way under scale. But, we knew, but, we were very overwhelmed to
come to America. Those days, $400 a month we got. We ate, we sent money to
family and we paid our apartment, that was a lot of, those days, we handled that. Of
course, that we had a tuna fish sandwich for 8 1/2 months for lunch, but, it didn't
matter for us as long as we want to become a successful. That as we become
successful, we knew we going to make more money. But, at that time, first two,
43
three years or even four years, we didn't understand English, we couldn't speak
English, we don't know what was going on.
So, what do you think, when you look back, when you were being paid at $400
level?
All three of us.
All three of you, not individually?
Not individually.
If you were Americans?
Never would have happened.
How much would you have [been] paid?
Three of us, at that time, union, whatever union scale was and I don't know exactly
how much was that time, a lot more than $400, three of us.
When did you begin to ask for more money or did you?
We didn't. What happened was, when Tom Ball took over, he get percentage. He
kept percentage of gross, so, therefore, the more money we get, he gets more money
himself. So, we didn't have.
He would negotiate it?
Yes. He's the one who negotiated. We didn't have to do anything. As the act got
popular, he's the one who negotiated all the clubs round the country. But, he call his
own price. What we do, we just pay him ten percent, whatever we get. But, that
was gross. Now, I think about it, couple, not too long ago, I was thinking about,
flashback my life, for example, Mike Tyson got $30 million for boxing. Now, I
44
know from that, in black in white, after he chops the manager, after agent, after
expenses, after trainer, after this, what you going to end up? Not even, less than
half, am I right? That's right.
We made a lot of money in those days. We paid transportation, gross, we paid the
agent, gross, we paid the hotel room, we paid room service. Air freight, we used to
carry 101 pieces of luggage, air freight. We carried a drummer, our conductor,
which is Lenny Esposito. We paid him salary. After taxes and this, where is the
money? I thought about that. Now, I know why we couldn't make money, because all
these expenses was eating us up.
So, even though your group as the "Kim Sisters" there are three of you, but, tell me
about the people who support your act, like the drummers and conductors, how
many were there?
There were just two. Yes, we had a keyboard (piano player), and a drummer. [Those]
two we usually take. If we [knew], like a couple of weeks earlier that they have a
house-band, [but] a drummer is not good, [or] piano is not good, then we have to carry
our own. Then we had a road manager who takes care of instruments. We couldn't
possibly handle that. See, all these expenses. The people don't think about, oh, they
make $13,000 a week, is a lot of money. After you deduct all these expenses, and
three of us really didn't make, then we send the money to Korea for our family.
Where is all this money? I told my husband, if you had personal business manager,
possible.
45
But, you didn't?
We did not.
So, did you then manage it? When you get paid, then you split out all of the money
that need to be paid to certain people and your expenses and you actually were your
own manager.
Yes. I was.
I see.
I was working on stage. I took care of my two sisters and three brothers. I did all
that, the expenses, working and all that. It was a lot of work; however, I managed it
and because of that, I became very strong person today. I learned a lot in life.
/ can imagine. One of the newspapers talks about "Kim Sisters" buying a co-op
apartment. That was in 1961. Tell me a little bit more about how you managed to
get up to that point.
We didn't. McMackin, at the time, actually people did not have knowledge, we
could have bought a little house, would have been a lot better for investment purpose.
Now I have all this knowledge. He got this co-op apartment.
Bob McMackin?
McMackin bought it for us. He was handling all the money at the time, see. He
bought this co-op apartment and we had to call one place home. So, that was our
home, 331 W. Cincinnati. I never forget that address.
When did you sell that and what was the next house you bought?
We sold that [she thinks aloud], 1961 through, we had it 1967, we had that. Then
46
when my two sister got married, '67, that's when we sold it. I don't even know what
we got. I don't even know where the money went. I don't remember nothing, what
happened to that apartment, but I remember the surroundings, lot of nice people
living there, you know, but that's as far as I can remember.
It seems like, at that time, that was the good place that people would buy. That was
my impression from the article.
I would like to ask you a little bit about your perception on showgirls and dancers.
What does perception mean?
Perception means, how you think they are, or how you feel about certain things.
And sometimes perception could be really far away from truth because people are
people. So, I would like to have your understanding, or perception is the right
word I think, in that. And then there are some differences between showgirls and
dancers, and entertainers like you.
Right, there is a difference. Let me tell you about that. 1959 when we went to the
Stardust Hotel, Bob McMackin was still with us. He says, we have to go see the
Lido Show, it's good publicity. We have to be exposed to the people. So, naturally,
we wore Korean gown and we went to the show, I have pictures somewhere.
Anyway, the first thing we saw, this woman coming down the ceiling with no clothes
on. We were totally shocked. We were hiding under the table, and the [nude]
showgirls shocked us to death. They were like puppets. We were young at the time
and [we thought] what a horrible things to see, you know, we couldn't relate to them.
Dancers, I thought they were the greatest dancers that we ever saw because we took
47
ballet when we were little and to me they were, I wanted to become dancer like that.
That's how I remember and I thought they were my idol or something like that. So
beautiful they danced.
Because they have talent? Showgirls, it's just their body.
Right. Now I understand that's their business, strictly business and personal life two
different things, however, at the time I was so young and that was horrible to me.
But, dancer, to me they were talented, very, very talented people and it was great to
watch them. So, that was our experience for the showgirl and that, you know,
dancers. That's when we knew, that we learned that there's two different way, the
showgirl and dancers are two different things. But, I don't know how that goes
today.
Then the next question would be, how do people view you? Is there any kind of
class distinction between the entertainers or dancers and showgirls? Is it just like in
Korea, there is Yang-ban and Ssang-nom 4 , like that kind of thing? Do you think
there is that kind of difference?
Not with our act. What we did, was people just mention it, the "Kim Sisters," oh,
those girls are talented. They play multi-different instrument, they sing, they dance.
That was that. We were that simple. "Kim Sister" act and that was it. So, they
didn't put us in any different category. We are [not] strictly dancers or singers or
musicians; no, we were all combined. We danced on stage, we sang, we play
4
Although Korea had four classes traditionally, people were broadly categorized into
two classes. The upper class, Yang-ban, includes literati, government officials who passed
civil service examinations. The lower class, Ssang-nom, includes all classes other than Yangban: peasants, workers, and servants. This class system no longer exists.
48
instruments, so, see, everything is combined and they said multiple talented girls.
That's how they talk about the "Kim Sisters" at the time.
/ would like to ask you about the article in one of the papers that the author was
calling you "Korean Cuties. " Are you familiar with that?
Yes, well usually we had a pony tail. That was our trademark, ponytail. So, my
manager, Tom Ball, would not cut our hair. We had to have long hair because "Kim
Sisters", oh, "those three pony tail girls." Someone drew a caricature of us. I have
that [somewhere in my file]. So, "Kim Sisters", with ponytail and Chinese dress
[became our trademarks]. They already know, so, this is why he demanded, Tom
Ball, demanded for us to wear Chinese dress because, first of all. now I look back,
we did not have that bad figure, so, they wanted to show off and I didn't have no idea
why they were keep asking us to wear Chinese dress, you know. But, that's the
reason why.
Because Korean gowns, it's just a big skirt.
Everybody think we're pregnant with Korean gown all the time. If we were, they
right away think, oh, maybe one of the girls is pregnant, but with the Chinese dress
we could show off our figures and we had a ponytail, that's our trademark. This is
why we could not wear Korean dress for the whole act. We just wore beginning and
then we took it off. Then there's Chinese dress came on. There was, people would
see it on TV, right away they would say, those are the Korean "Kim Sisters."
Those pictures in Life Magazine.
So, that's why they call cuties.
49
/ see. And, also, they show you dancing in high heels.
Yes.
Who taught you all of those dances? And you mentioned a lot about rehearsal.
Who was your teacher, or was there one?
You know, I have to tell you that I remember clearly that Bob McMackin hired this
dancer and, because he knew that we learn, when we were little, ballet. We had a
knowledge of dancing. So, this gentleman, Jeff, I never forget his name. His name
was Jeff. He [Bob] hired this guy and he was teaching us this dance step and we were
following. That's about it. We were just following the footstep of his and we did it
with high heel. Those days, high heel shoes were pointed. Do you remember? That's
right.
I developed a foot, my corn problem. Eight years I had to suffer, very, very bad
because we were dancing on stage and we had to have shoes fit tight. So, therefore,
we were buying shoes not our size. So, we were buying smaller size, so it would fit
tight, so it will not come off on stage. Because of that, I had my little toe, one of
them, I don't have a little toe anymore, only skin left because I told the doctor, cut it
off because I have so much problem. We had that problem, but this gentleman, Jeff,
just show us how to do it, we followed him.
What about the new programs you add into your act? Who thought about them? I
did. O.K., this is what I did. I will go watch Broadway shows and now we had a
gentleman working with us, pianist, his name was Bob Alciba5. He's still [in]
5
This is the closest spelling known to the interviewer.
50
contact with us. He became our musical arranger. [When] we have to go on Ed
Sullivan Shows, we have to come with a different program. So, [I said to] Bob, "I
saw this movie, Thoroughly Modern Millie. There's one number, could be great
banjo number and we could do medley, Funny Girl medley, Westside Story medley.
Sound of Music, all medley." So, I would pick all these numbers for him and I want
it done this way and that way and this way and that way and he will do it for us.
How did you learn to do that?
I didn't, it was just common sense.
It came natural to you. That is wonderful.
Those days we did not have personal life. All 24 hours is working related. So, I
would do anything off stage related to our program. We have to change this, we
have to get new number.
How often do you get new numbers?
Well, we were coming back Las Vegas every year for about six, seven months. So,
therefore, we cannot do the same number. We had to change it. We had sleeping
time; eating time, and work, rehearsal, and work. That's all we had. Like I said
before, [in] the last last interview, about our mother. [She said], "stay away from the
boys. You don't have time. You want to become a success in America, you have to
sleep, you have to work." Now, this is what I telling my son; he is already major
baseball player. "You got to sleep with the baseball bat. Otherwise, you cannot be
successful." That's why we objected a lot of things he did in his life because he
wanted to do [other things as well.] Here it is, [I told my son] what our mother told
5
1 me. You cannot comingle, in real estate, they use comingle.
You can't do both.
You cannot mingle with the personal life and business. You got to, after you
establish, after you successful, then you could do all you want in personal life, but
until then, you cannot do it. You got to think of business 24 hours a day. And, you
know, she was right.
She was. Tell me a little bit about the 8 1/2 months that you were engaged with
Stardust. What was the period like? Do you have a straight forward 81/2 [months
contract], or there is a break in between?
No break. We worked every night, six days a week, 8 1/2 months straight.
When did it start?
It started, I remember, in April. We weie in February, Thunderbird Hotel. We did
stay eight weeks, Thunderbird because show was successful. They extend another
four weeks. From there, directly to Stardust we went. So, we stayed 8 1/2 months,
that's where the Ed Sullivan Show happened, things were happening.
So, until December, you performed at Stardust, then you went to?
Chicago, excuse me, went to Lake Tahoe. We did two weeks engagement and that's
Lake Tahoe. Now, we were in the lounge 8 1/2 months [at Stardust]. Now they
book us Lake Tahoe, showroom, with...
So, Lake Tahoe you played in the showroom?
Showroom, listen to this, Mimi VanDoren, ok, do you know her? She was the star,
we were the second act, all right? So, when we went there, first night opening, we
52
did our show, after show people were standing up, they would not let us get off. So,
she supposed to follow us, she's a star. She could not possibly follow us. So, we
switched.
She did hers first?
Yes, then we, because her act was so weak at that time and ours was too powerful.
So, that's where our act was starting really coming strong, then word got out that
"Kim Sisters" had to close the show. Mimi VanDoren could not follow the show and
it just went like a bullet everywhere. Next thing we know, we were booked into
Edgewater Beach Hotel, one of the finest hotels in Chicago. That's where the
Life Magazine followed us and took 2500 pictures. They chose six pictures in the
Life Magazine.
Yes, you know, we have it the Library on microfilm. So, I made a copy and it
really didn 't come out very well, but I could tell you are dancing in a real pointed
high heels.
Right, that's the one, right here.
So, I made a copy.
Jumping.
Jumping, dancing, and then they explain about you were sitting, watching T V and
then this is the farm... Is this McMackin 's parents' farm ?
Yes, that's where. He took us there and we used to love dumpling, you know, that
chicken with dumpling, like a Biji.6 We always said we want a dumpling. Yes,
'Korean dumpling made of bean curd and flour.
53
that's the thing.
One of the questions that my co-researchers asked was, if you can explain a little bit
more about the circumstances, how your brother and sisters met their spouses, all
Korean.
Yes, well, I don't know. This is a strange thing to think. Even when I was young in
Korea. I don't know why, I wanted to come to America. I used to pray to God
every night, kneel down, since I was six, that let me be successful. I don't know
why I do that and I said, I would like to go to America. So, I knew in my mind that
I wasn't going to, I didn't have a chance to even marry Korean man. I didn't have a
chance. We never dated in Korea, we were working all the time. So, I just didn't
think of it, you know, but my brother, my older brother marry Korean lady because
he was in Korea. My older sister who married Korean man because she was in
Korea, and my brothers, that Yong-il, San-ho, Tai-san, three brothers, Tai-san
married American woman. Yes, Yong-il married a Korean lady from L.A.[Los
Angeles]
Oh, they met in L.A. ?
But, he never liked American lady, that's different. Tai-san always liked American
lady. So, he married American girl. Yong-il never liked American lady, so he
married Korean lady.
What about your sisters?
My sister Ai-ja never had a chance to date a Korean man. Never had a chance. So,
we all married, Mia married a Jewish man, Ai-ja married an Italian man, I married
54
Italian man.
So, you "Kim Sisters" actually married Americans, other than [Koreans], I
misunderstood. In the last interview, I thought, except you, they all married
Korean.
No, we all married American. / see, that makes
[more sense]. We did not have a chance to date
Korean men.
/ see. That makes a little bit easier on your family. If you are the only one who
married American man, you would have difficulty.
Yes, difficult, yes. We still had difficulty because there is the food situation. My
husband doesn't eat Korean food. Ai-ja's husband didn't eat the Korean food or Mia's
husband didn't eat Korean food, only a little bit. So, we all three always have to have
the Korean food, there were problems. So, you got together, and?
We ate all Korean food, three of us. All the husbands didn't eat, but it didn't matter,
we had to have it anyway. They understood that, you know. So, we got into, right
away, Italian food because we been eating like spaghetti for six months. Did I tell you
that story?7 That's right, yes.
So, we knew Italian food is agreeing with us and we loved it, but as far as our
husbands, nobody ate Korean food. That was difficult.
7
See the first interview, pages 17-18.
55
Yes, had he visited Korea?
My husband? Very shamely, no. Never has.
Is he interested in going?
Yes, and I said to my friends the other day, if my son plays baseball in Korea with a
Korean team, [he will] take the next flight. He will be there for sure. The reason
why I did not invite him to Korea, eating problem was such a main factor with my
husband. He had to have certain food, even I cook, everything got to be fresh. For
me to go to Korea, now, knowing my husband cannot eat Korean food, do you know
how miserable I'm going to be? And how uncomfortable and how, what kind of
pressure I'm going to have? Now, when I go to Korea, I got to put over 110 percent
to the show. I got to be good. And to have him next to me, worry about what you
going to eat for lunch? What you're going to have for dinner? That just not going to
work and he knows that. So, every time I go Korea to perform, "Honey, I'm going
with my family," and he understood. Less pressure for me and I could eat any place I
want, even in Po-jang macha} I don't care where I eat, I love it. I love eating
anyplace but my husband cannot do that. So, last time I was in Korea and I told my
daughter, "you know what? Marissa, I think now your father comes here, we have
American food here." It's not the best American [food], but it's there. And, we cook
spaghetti there, they make spaghetti, so, we will not have a problem. That was the
main problem I had with my husband, eating. So, did you have to learn to cook a lot
since you got married?
'Korean street vendor who cooks and serves hot foods in a "covered wagon" type tent.
56
Oh, yes. I didn't even know how to boil the water when I got married. I remember
very clearly, when he came to visit me one time and I want to make him three minute
soft egg. I think I wasted about twelve of them. I couldn't count right. I learned
everything about cooking from my mother-in-law.
She taught you everything?
Yes.
Family recipe and everything?
Family recipe, everything. She taught me everything I know and I become a very
good cook. When she criticize me I says, you are my teacher, you can't criticize my
cooking and she never did after that.
Does your husband have a big family?
No. My husband does not [have] a big family. He had only one sister.
Where about does she live?
She lives in Las Vegas. Her name is Rosemary and she has three children. They are
all married and they're on their own. He's from small family.
When you got married, was there any kind of, I wouldn't say a problem, but, was
there any kind of opposition, that you are marrying other than your own race?
From you husband's perspective, his family.
Let me tell you what. Very interesting question. Number one, that time, I was
already famous. They've seen me through Ed Sullivan Show on television, so they
feel like they know me already. That's number one. That's first thing that I would
think that they don't think of me as a stranger. Number two, when I met my father-
57
in-law, first time, I ate, five, I ate one pound of spaghetti. I became immediately
friends with him. He like anybody who ate spaghetti, pound of spaghetti. So, he
says, he call me his eating partner. So, we clicked, my father-in-law and I. I just,
well, you got to understand, coming from Korea, Oriental people, they have a
tremendous respect, elders, we respect elder person, older person. They saw that
quality in me; when I think back, my father-in-law, especially. He did ask me one
time if I ever, something happened to me, I die, who's going to take care mother,
which is my mother-in-law. And, out of a whole table, I said I would, and I have for
24 years, she's been living in my house. I have. He saw that quality. So, there
were no doubt, because I was famous at that time. Then, he saw me in the house,
time to time, he saw that quality. So, in his mind, no objection whatsoever. Now,
when he says he has no objection, everybody else follows in that household. You
know that. That's right.
That's how Korean is, that's how Italian is. But, I did see a lot of Korean custom in
that. That's when I fell in love with my husband, respecting his parents and we do
the same. So, our custom was very similar. So, that time, I said [to myself], if I
marry this man, they're not like two different worlds we're coming from and I knew
that. So, it wasn't difficult for me to come into their home because of their situation,
unique situation they have.
That's right and your family already has accepted American culture and, so, they
didn 't have a problem with you marrying.
58
No, they did not have a problem. They automatically thought that we've been living
here so many years already and what chance we have of meeting Korean men? We
didn't have chance. That's the honest truth. So, someone will ask me, what is the
difference dating Korean men and American men? I have no answer because I never
dated a Korean man, so, I do not have answer for them.
That is really interesting. I think all of my questions are now answered. Last
question I would like to ask you [is] to explain little bit about Ed Sullivan Shows,
how much you were...
Part of the show?
That's right and then, also, do you think that your success was actually attributed to
Ed Sullivan?
Yes. Definitely. Ed Sullivan, at the time, was like a big show in Korea right now.9
The biggest show in the United States and to get on that show was phenomenal. You
can't even dream about it. But, I think back now, we came right time. Everybody
needs luck, little luck and timing was right. Ed Sullivan caught our act, he said, "I
want them to be on my show," and that's how it started. Then, he found out that we
played a few different instruments, so when he kept calling us back, that's how we
learned all the different instruments. We had to come with different instruments.
So, you appeared in Ed Sullivan almost every year?
Almost every year, sometimes two, three times a year, totally 32 times we appear on
his show, from 1960 to 1970 for about 32 times.
'Variety shows on TV with big music bands, like Ed Sullivan shows, are very popular in
Korea.
59
Yes, so that almost averages out like three times a year.
So, every time we go to New York, all the taxi driver, this is funny, we were
walking down the New York street and everybody goes, "there goes Kim Sisters,"
and I go, gosh, how they recognize us and then I go, oh my gosh, we're Oriental.
For a split second, I forgot, you know. They said, there is the "Kim Sisters," I go,
how do they recognize us? However, every time we go in and we would take a cab
from the airport, whatever, and the cab driver says, "oh, you came to see your
Papa."
They knew?
They thought that Ed Sullivan adopted us, you know, that's how wonderful he was to
us.
Was it kind of unusual for him to have you that often?
Very, very unusual because we came with a different instrument every time, different
number all the time. There was always, what are you going to [bring] next time?
What are you going to bring us? That's how we learned that types. Now, we ran out
of instruments. He said, "what you going to come next time?" I said, jokingly,
"what about a bagpipe?" He said, "you got it, you got two months." Two months,
we got to learn this instrument in two months? And, we did, see.
That's what you explained in the video tape.10
Yeah, that's how that happened. So, we had to rehearse continuously at the same
10
In July 1995, Sook-ja Kim and her brothers created a show in memory of their parents and
performed in Korea. The performance was sponsored by the Korean Broadcasting Company.
Sook-ja Kim gave the interviewer a copy of the video tape.
60
So, then, as you learn new instruments, then you have teachers to teach you to do
that new instrument.
Like a violin, we had a teacher; mandolin, we had a teacher. We had all this, you
know, new instrument, we had a teacher. But, my brothers, no teacher. They selftaught. That's just incredible. To me, that's so talented, very talented. That is just
really amazing. I will end the tape here and then I could ask if you if you could
show me some of the files you have and I'm going to end this tape. This is the end
of the second interview with Sook-ja Kim on April 6, 1996. Thank you very much.
You are very welcome.
61
Index
acculturation
customs, 31-32
food, 10, 17, 54-55
language, 13
on nudity, 23, 46
American family life
children, 24-25, 50, 50
husband, 14, 18-20,30-32,
34-35,54-57
mother-in-law, 31, 55-58
B
Ball, Tom, 2, 40-43 Bonifazio,
John [see husband]
China Doll Revue, 1,7,36
Kim Sisters
costumes, 13, 48
dancing, 49
European tour, 18-19
first American tour, 12, 52
in Korea, 2
Las Vegas career, 21
playing instruments, 9-10, 58
songs, 2, 6-7, 11
variety act, 50
Korean family life
dating and marriage customs, 14,
31-33,53,58
father, 2
mother, 2, 4, 9-10, 16
on generational respect, 26, 31,
57
siblings, 2, 14-17,40-43
Korean Kittens, 39
D
Desert Inn Hotel and Casino, 42
E
entertainment
new generation of, 33
on showgirls and dancers, 46-47
Oriental acts, 36-38
Lake Tahoe, 11,51
Las Vegas
first impressions of, 5-6
living in, 6, 45
on corporate gaming, 22
on social life in, 23, 46 Las Vegas
Hilton Hotel and Casino, 21 Life
Magazine publicity, 12-13, 52
Flamingo Hotel and Casino, 40
G
Geisha Revue, 42
M
Maguire Sisters, 9, 11
McDonnell, Tommy, 37
McMackin, Bob, 4, 12, 40-42, 45-46, 52
H
Holiday in Japan, 36
immigration process, 4, 5, 7, 15
K
Kim Brothers, 15-17, 40-43
philosophy
mother's, 4, 9-10, 14 on
childrearing, 29 on doing
business, 20, 45 on personal
image, 25
62
R
race relations
discrimination, 27-29
interracial marriage, 53-54
language barrier, 8, 31
retirement, 21,34-35
Riviera Hotel and Casino, 17
S
Sahara Hotel and Casino, 6 Sawyer, Dan,
3, 41 Stardust Hotel and Casino, 8, 18, 37,
46,
51 Sullivan, Ed, 11, 15-16, 37, 4950, 56,
58-60
Sunspot, 38
V
Van Doren, Mimi, 51-52
W
wages 40-44
9
32169 DEPT/PER: TH
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