He studied at Blackheath Conservatoire (1918–20) and then at the Royal Academy of Music with Charles Reddie (piano) and Harry Farjeon (composition).
[1] Immediately after leaving the academy in 1924 King was engaged by Sir Henry Wood as a Bach soloist at the Proms for three years in a row.
[3] In 1927 he formed an orchestral ensemble to play at the fifth floor restaurant of Swan & Edgar's department store in London's Piccadilly Circus.
[9] King's early compositions include a Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor (1924),[10] two books of preludes (op.
But he became best known for the many light music genre pieces he wrote for piano with titles like Passing Clouds, Polka Piquante and Where Water Lilies Dream.