Biography of Evelyn "Champagne" King

Once a sparkling, youthful star who seemed to be emerging as a perennial winner, Evelyn "Champagne" King didn't completely fulfill the potential she showed in her early records, but still became a very successful artist. She was reportedly discovered while subbing for her sister as a cleaning woman at Sigma Studios in her teens. Producer T. Life heard King singing Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." He took her to RCA, where her debut single vaulted King into prominence in 1978; both "Shame" and "I Don't Know if It's Right" were triumphant, explosive tunes that deserved their Top Ten R&B status. King kept making hits into the mid-'80s, topping the charts with "I'm in Love" and "Love Come Down," both spectacular vocals that elevated good arrangements into great ones. "Betcha She Don't Love You" and "Your Personal Touch" were her final RCA hits, and King moved to EMI-Manhattan in 1988. The song "Flirt" returned her to hit status, peaking at number three R&B. RCA issued a greatest hits/retrospective CD in 1993. ~ Ron Wynn