Twins Herbert and Harold Kalin were born in Port Jervis, New York, in February 1934 but later moved with their family to Washington DC.
Originally discovered by Clint Ballard Jr., Herbie and Hal signed with Decca and had a couple of early recording flops before hitting the charts in 1958 with When. The song reached #5 in the US and topped the UK Singles Chart, staying at #1 for five weeks.
As a result, they became one of the first American rock’n’roll artists to tour Britain.
The Kalins’ single, Forget Me Not, was also an American hit and in late 1958 they appeared in Britain headlining a package tour that included the then-unknown Cliff Richard.
The twins moved to Nashville in 1959 and released Sweet Sugar Lips. The single sold well, but none of their subsequent releases repeated the success of their first hit.
The Kalin’s regularly toured and home and abroad but their career slowly spiralled as they made way for new teen idols.
Disillusioned, the brothers eventually returned to their day jobs, with each pursuing college degrees.
Hal Kalin died aged 71 in a car accident on 24 August 2005, and Herbie died from a heart attack less than a year later on 21 July 2006. He was 72.
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The Kalins’ single, Forget Me Not, was also an American hit and in late 1958 they appeared in Britain headlining a package tour that included the then-unknown Cliff Richard.
