Evelyn "Champagne" King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evelyn "Champagne" King |
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King in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Evelyn King |
| Born | July 1, 1960 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
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Evelyn "Champagne" King (born July 1, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. She is famous for her hit disco song "Shame", which came out in 1977 when disco music was very popular. Evelyn King also had other popular songs in the early to mid-1980s, like "I'm in Love" (1981), "Love Come Down" (1982), and "Your Personal Touch" (1985).
Contents
About Evelyn King
Early Life and Discovery
Evelyn King was born on July 1, 1960, in The Bronx, New York City. She grew up in Philadelphia and is one of eight children. As a child, her nickname was "Bubbles." Music was a big part of her family. Her uncle, Avon Long, was an actor and singer who performed in famous shows like Porgy and Bess on Broadway. He also worked with legendary singer Lena Horne. Evelyn's father was a backup singer for groups at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Her mother managed a music group called Quality Red.
Evelyn King was discovered while she was working with her mother as an office cleaner at Philadelphia International Records. A music producer named Theodore T. Life heard her singing in a washroom. He was impressed and started to coach her. Soon after, she signed a production deal with Life's Galaxy Productions and a record deal with RCA Records.
Music Career Highlights
When Evelyn King started her career, her name sounded "too grown-up" to some, so the nickname "Champagne" was added. In 1977, King released her first album, Smooth Talk. This album included the song "Shame". This song became her only top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 9. It also did very well on the Soul and dance charts. The song was so popular that it was certified gold, meaning it sold many copies.
Another song from that album, "I Don't Know If It's Right," also became a hit. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was her second gold-certified single. In 1981, her song "I'm in Love" became a number 1 hit on both the R&B singles chart and the dance chart.
In 1982, King released the album Get Loose. This album featured the song "Love Come Down", which was a top-twenty pop hit and a number 1 Soul hit. It also topped the dance chart and reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. The next song from the album, "Betcha She Don't Love You", reached number 2 on the Soul chart. Throughout the mid to late 1980s, Evelyn King continued to have many songs in the top twenty on the Soul chart.
On September 20, 2004, Evelyn King's song "Shame" was honored. It became one of the first songs to be added to the Dance Music Hall of Fame at a special event in New York City.
Later Music and Collaborations
After a break, Evelyn King released her album Open Book on August 14, 2007. This was her first studio album in 12 years. It included the song "The Dance," which reached number 12 on the Hot Dance Club Play Chart. In 2011, King also worked with music producer Miguel Migs on a song called "Everybody," which was part of his album Outside the Skyline.
In 2015, Evelyn King joined a supergroup with other famous disco singers, Martha Wash and Linda Clifford. They called themselves First Ladies of Disco. The group released their first song, "Show Some Love," in March 2015, which reached number six on the Dance charts. The group went on their first tour together in 2017. However, Evelyn King left the group in December 2017.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
CAN |
NZ |
UK |
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| 1977 | Smooth Talk | 14 | 8 | 24 | — | — |
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RCA |
| 1979 | Music Box | 35 | 12 | 45 | — | — |
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| 1980 | Call on Me | 124 | 58 | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | I'm in Love | 28 | 6 | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | Get Loose | 27 | 1 | — | 45 | 35 |
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| 1983 | Face to Face | 91 | 24 | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | So Romantic | 203 | 38 | — | — | — | ||
| 1985 | A Long Time Coming (A Change Is Gonna Come) | — | 38 | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | Flirt | 192 | 20 | — | — | — | EMI-Manhattan | |
| 1989 | The Girl Next Door | — | — | — | — | — | EMI-USA | |
| 1995 | I'll Keep a Light On | — | — | — | — | — | Expansion | |
| 2007 | Open Book | — | — | — | — | — | Big Day/Jaggo | |
Compilations
- The Best of Evelyn "Champagne" King (1990, RCA)
- Love Come Down: The Best of Evelyn "Champagne" King (1993, RCA)
- Let's Get Funky (1997, BMG)
- Greatest Hits (2001, RCA)
- Platinum & Gold Collection (2003, BMG Heritage)
- Legends (2005, Sony BMG)
- If You Want My Lovin' (2006, Sony Music Special Products)
- Action: The Evelyn "Champagne" King Anthology - 1977-1986 (2014, BBR)
- The Essential Evelyn "Champagne" King (2015, Legacy)
- The Complete RCA Hits and More! (2016, Real Gone Music)
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B |
US Dan |
AUS |
CAN |
IRE |
NL |
NZ |
UK |
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| 1977 | "Shame" | 9 | 7 | 8 | 72 | 16 | — | 26 | — | 39 | Smooth Talk | |
| 1978 | "I Don't Know If It's Right" | 23 | 7 | 25 | — | 17 | — | — | 38 | 67 |
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| "Dancin', Dancin', Dancin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1979 | "Music Box" | 75 | 14 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Music Box | |
| "Out There" | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "Let's Get Funky Tonight" | — | 34 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Call on Me | |
| "I Need Your Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1981 | "I'm in Love" | 40 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | I'm in Love | |
| "If You Want My Lovin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | |||
| "Don't Hide Our Love" | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1982 | "Spirit of the Dancer" | — | 51 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Come Down" | 17 | 1 | 1 | — | 44 | 13 | — | 12 | 7 |
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Get Loose | |
| "Betcha She Don't Love You" | 49 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Back to Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | |||
| 1983 | "Get Loose" | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | ||
| "Action" | 75 | 16 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Face to Face | ||
| 1984 | "Shake Down" | 107 | 12 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Teenager" | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Just for the Night" | 107 | 16 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | So Romantic | ||
| "I'm So Romantic" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | |||
| 1985 | "Out of Control" | — | 54 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Give Me One Reason" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 93 | |||
| "Till Midnight" | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Give It Up" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Fright Night | ||
| "Your Personal Touch" | 86 | 9 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | A Long Time Coming (A Change Is Gonna Come) | ||
| 1986 | "High Horse" | — | 19 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | ||
| "Slow Down" | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1988 | "Flirt" | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Flirt | |
| "Hold on to What You've Got" | — | 8 | 5 | — | — | — | 41 | — | 47 | |||
| "Kisses Don't Lie" | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | "Day to Day" | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Girl Next Door | |
| 1990 | "Do Right" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Shame (Hardcore Mix)" (Altern 8 vs Evelyn King) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 74 | N/A | |
| 1995 | "I Think About You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I'll Keep a Light On | |
| 1996 | "One More Time" (with Divas of Color) | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | N/A | |
| 2008 | "The Dance" | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Open Book | |
| 2011 | "Everybody" (with Miguel Migs) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Outside the Skyline | |
See also
In Spanish: Evelyn King para niños
- List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
