Kim Bird was born October 18, 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1955 and attended Twin Lakes Elementary School. Bird grew up in a Las Vegas that was run by the mob and safe for teenagers. She would meet friends in local hangouts such as the Blue Onion and attend sock hops, babysit, and cruise down Fremont Street. She attended high school with black students and was aware of the segregation that existed on the Las Vegas Strip. Bird was married in 1961 and had a son and daughter.