Evelyn "Champagne" King
A disco and R&B powerhouse who shot to fame as a teenager with the era-defining dancefloor anthem 'Shame'.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American singer·Birthday: July 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Evelyn 'Champagne' King was discovered in 1976 while working as a cleaner at Philadelphia International Records, her voice echoing in a hallway as she mopped. That chance moment launched a career that captured the glittering peak of disco and its smooth evolution into 80s soul. Her debut single, 'Shame,' released when she was just 17, became an instant classic, its driving bassline and her mature, powerful vocals defining a sound. King successfully navigated the disco backlash, reinventing herself with a string of sleek, synth-driven R&B hits in the early 1980s like 'I'm in Love' and 'Love Come Down,' which showcased a softer, more romantic vocal style. Her journey from janitor to chart-topper remains one of music's great Cinderella stories, and her voice provided a bridge between the euphoric release of the 70s dance floor and the cooler, more personal grooves of the decade that followed.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Evelyn was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Evelyn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Evelyn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her debut single 'Shame' (1977) became a platinum-selling disco anthem, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for 'Love Come Down' in 1983.
- Achieved four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart throughout her career.
- Her 1981 album 'I'm in Love' reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B albums chart and went gold.
Did You Know?
Her famous nickname 'Champagne' was given to her by her producer because her bubbly personality reminded him of the drink.
She recorded her first hit, 'Shame,' in just one take.
She is the cousin of R&B singers James 'D-Train' Williams and Audrey Wheeler.
Her song 'Shame' has been sampled by numerous hip-hop artists, including Mariah Carey and Black Eyed Peas.
“I was just mopping the floor and singing, and the next thing I know, I'm in the studio.”
