Ric De Azevedo Dies: TV Producer & King Family Singer Who Surprised Tearful Mom During Vietnam Era Christmas Special Was 75

deadline.com:

Ric de Azevedo, a King Family singer who later worked on the production teams of early 1980s series Private Benjamin and Enos but might best be remembered for a surprising, tearful moment during a Vietnam era Christmas special, died March 14 in Fruit Heights, Utah, of an undisclosed illness.

He was 75. His death was announced on the King Family’s Facebook page. “Ric was a vibrant part of our family shows,” The King Cousins said in the statement, “and audiences always delighted in his performances and cherished the many memorable moments he was a part of — from singing and dancing in our Top Twenty segments, through his beautiful solos and of course the magical moment he surprised his mom Alyce during our very first Christmas special.” A member of the King Family vocal group, known for their easy-listening recordings and frequent TV specials during the 1960s and early 1970s, de Azevedo later went on to a behind-the-scenes career as a postproduction executive at Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

Television. He was serving in the U.S. Army as a singer in the U.S. Army Field Band when, unbeknownst to his mother Alyce, the family arranged for a brief leave of absence so he could appear, in uniform, on 1967’s Christmas With the King Family.

The visit reduced his mother, who was an original member of the group’s precursor King Sisters trio, to tears as she attempted to continue with an emotional rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The clip became a familiar holiday TV tradition, most recently as part of getTV’s Christmas programming.