He began directing the 80 women in the Sweet Adelines in 1959, and continued until stepping down in the 1990s.
For 40 years, Mr. King also directed the Chorus of the Chesapeake, a 180-member men's chorus that is formally known as the Dundalk chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. He retired from that group in 1996.
Under his direction, the men's chorus won an international barbershop competition that was held in New Orleans in 1971.
In addition to singing with the award-winning Oriole Four that won a 1970 barbershop competition in Atlantic City for its rendition of "Danny Boy," he performed and was still performing at his death with several other quartets, including the Pro's N Con's, Premiere and Sage.
"There was no one like him. His infectious love of music easily came across to us and so inspired us. He got singers doing things they didn't know they were capable of doing," said Henry "Bud" Laumann, a member of the Chorus of the Chesapeake for 44 years.
His wife of 50 years, the former Patricia Lee McDermot, died in 2005.
Mr. King was a member of Perry Hall United Methodist Church, 9515 Belair Road, where services will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Also surviving are a daughter, Kerry Lee Vance of Parkville; another brother, James Pugh of Parkville; a sister, Merle Burgess of Yorktown, Va.; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
