The Truth About Ming & Ling

Ming & Ling in the early 1940s

Let the following be a lesson that all "truth" is provisional — especially here on this blog!

A couple of months ago I posted two songs allegedly recorded by vaudeville duo Ming and Ling. Ever since Nick Tosches added a chapter about them in the revised edition of his book Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll (1991), these "Chinese Hillbillies" became something of a cult item among rock music aficionados. And their legendarily obscure singles — "records so strange that they defy description" — took on a decidedly Holy Grail sheen.

Although Tosches acknowledges in his book that there may have been more than one Ming and Ling — and that the duo who recorded these wild rock-and-roll songs might not be the vaudeville duo who performed throughout the forties and fifties — his enthusiasm is so contagious that you want to believe they are one and the same.

Well, it turns out that this is not the case. I was recently contacted by Ling's son-in-law John Buckley, who set the record straight about Ming & Ling.

The duo only performed live and never made any recordings. Contrary to the story they gave the press, they are not cousins but in fact father and son. Ling's real name is Gregory Paguio, and he is not Chinese but half-Filipino and half-Irish. His father Ming's real name is Jose T. Paguio. Jose had played in vaudeville for many years before asking Gregory, who was just 17 at the time, to join him on the stage in 1940.

The two performed as Ming & Ling for more than twenty years until Jose's retirement in 1962, after which Gregory led an Oriental revue produced by former Forbidden City dancer Dorothy Toy. For the next five years Gregory toured the West Coast and Asia before retiring in 1967. I'm guessing that's him in the ad, surrounded by a bevy of Oriental dolls and looking very James Bond! Here's what one reviewer had to say about the show: "Toy, Ling and Oriental Revue at Three Rivers Inn shouldn't be missed by any who appreciates lively, daring, beautiful girls, Hawaiian songs and dances, Geisha Girl Shows, and fabulous costumes. M.C. Bob Ling surprises the audience with his delightful impersonations of Perry Como [and] Dean Martin" (The Syracuse Post-Standard, September 30, 1966).

Well, it's good to finally know the truth about Ming & Ling's alleged recordings. Although this may technically disqualify them from being "Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll", they remain one of the most fascinating acts from the twilight years of vaudeville. Now, if we can only get our hands on their 1949 appearance on the "The Milton Berle Show"!

Many thanks to John Buckley for contacting me and generously providing the photos of Ming & Ling. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to email him (buckley1969@gmail.com).

Finally, let me give a shout out to John's son Brian Buckley, who is himself an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, and to "Ling", who is still with us today.


Remembering the good old days: Jose and Gregory Paguio