Alyce King may not be a household name, but here's a woman who kept music alive during the Great Depression and beyond. Alyce and her sisters, a.k.a. the King Sisters, sang on radio variety programs in the late 1930s and 40s. In 1965, Alyce and her musically-talented family created a weekly one-hour TV series for ABC called "The King Family Show." Two years later, Alyce's son Ric joined the United States Army during the Vietnam War.
We've seen countless soldiers surprise their loved ones with unexpected homecomings, a theme that has proven itself a favorite among viral video lovers. Many believe the following clip is the first-ever recorded "soldier surprise," which took place during the end of the Vietnam War. Accompanied by her other son, Alyce breaks into a gorgeous rendition of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Ric's photo proudly displayed on the piano — but little did Alyce know that her soldier son was about to give her an incredible surprise. I don't know how she managed to continue singing so beautifully, but it's clear she was a total pro and truly loving mom.
After leaving the service in 1970, Ric went back to Los Angeles to sing with his family. The King Family had two television series, filmed 15 holiday specials and made numerous TV appearances between 1965-1975.
Alyce King died in 1996 at the age of 80, but her memory lives on in this nostalgic trip to the past. Please SHARE this classic TV moment with your friends on Facebook!
