The Kings

Lore & Background

The Kings were formed in Oakville, Ontario, in the late 1970s. The original lineup included David Diamond (bass, lead vocals), Mister Zero (guitar), Sonny Keyes (keyboards and vocals), and John Picard (drums). They were originally known as WhistleKing. In early 1980, they recorded their first album The Kings Are Here with producer Bob Ezrin. The double-A side single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" spent 23 weeks on the U.S. charts, peaking at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band toured with Bob Seger, Jeff Beck, The Beach Boys, and Eric Clapton, and appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Their 1981 follow-up Amazon Beach sold poorly, and they were dropped by Elektra Records. They released the EP R.S.V.P and live album Party Live '85 on their own Dizzy label. In the 1990s, they released Unstoppable and later reissued The Kings Are Here...and More on CD. The band continues to play live shows across southern Ontario and released a documentary on YouTube in November 2017.

In Their Own Story

The bus pulls into the Forum parking lot at 6:47 p.m. on a Thursday in March, and the air already tastes like ozone and anticipation. A line of fans stretches past the concession stands, jerseys zipped to the chin, purple foam fingers raised like tiny scepters. Inside, the concrete walls still hold the ghost of thirty-seven seasons—the faint scuff marks where a puck once ricocheted off the glass, the worn groove in the ice where the center ice faceoff circle has been etched a thousand times. A kid in a size-small Gretzky jersey presses his palm flat against the boards, feeling the vibration of the Zamboni's hum. The lights dim. The anthem plays, and 18,000 people sing it like a hymn. Then the puck drops, and the Forum swallows the sound whole.

Reader's Guide

The Kings are a Canadian rock band formed in 1977 in Oakville, Ontario. Their biggest hit is the 1980 double-A side single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide". The original lineup consisted of David Diamond, Mister Zero, Sonny Keyes, and Max Styles. They have released albums including The Kings Are Here (1980), Amazon Beach (1981), Unstoppable (1993), and Because of You (2003). The band has undergone several lineup changes over the decades, with Diamond and Zero remaining consistent members.

Did You Know?

• The Kings were originally known as WhistleKing before changing their name.
• Their hit single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980.
• The band performed at the major Heatwave festival in August 1980.
• In 2020, American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies released a cover of "Switchin' to Glide".