Check it Out! The Kessler Twins

Last week, I read in the news that the Kessler twins passed away. In Germany, assisted suicide has been legalized since 2019, and Alice and Ellen Kessler, 89, chose this way to die together. They were an internationally renowned pair of entertainers and gained the spotlight stateside through their numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s. 

Their death has relit the debate over assisted suicide in Germany, but instead of focusing on their chosen method of leaving this world, I want to highlight the talent of this incredible sister act. It has been a few years since I have watched their performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, so yesterday - thanks to the magic of Youtube - I was able to sit back and enjoy their beautiful dancing and singing through the clips shared by The Ed Sullivan Show Channel. 

The Kessler twins were best known as dancers but they were also blessed with lovely singing voices and they sang in harmony in almost all of their performances - in English, German, and Italian. After their appearances on The Red Skelton Hour and The Ed Sullivan Show, the leggy duo were featured on the cover of Life magazine in 1963, performed with Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire, and Harry Belafonte, and toured in nightclubs throughout America. 

Alice and Ellen Kessler represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision contest placing 8th with "Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n" and I was surprised to read that they had appeared in 12 different films in the 1950s and 1960s, usually in dancing roles. 

Like most identical twins, if you look at them long enough you can tell the slight difference between them, but once they got into a change of costume you had to begin the spot-the-difference game all over again. 

Below are videos from some of the appearances they have made on The Ed Sullivan Show. Check out their unique singing and dancing style - they were truly a one-of-a-kind (or should I say two-of-a-kind) duo! 

A November 24, 1968 performance of "I Say a Little Prayer". 

"Two by Two and Tea for Two" on April 24, 1966. Their skirts always tend to come off at the end of their programs... that's a carried over tradition from German nightclubs. 

"When in Rome"....do as the Romans do! Supposedly, they dance. This catchy number aired on October 16, 1966. 

"The Shadow of Your Smile" performed by the handsome Italian singer Sergio Franchi. We grew up with his LPs. This also aired on October 16, 1966. 

The always popular "Mas Que Nada" from April 19, 1970.