RS: Who was your inspiration for Nobody Knows?
Evelyn Champagne King: My husband was my inspiration, we've been
married sixteen years. It was love at first sight and we were
married within two months of when we met. He's my best friend and my
confidant. I love him dearly and that song was just basically letting
people know that when you are with someone, nobody knows how it really
feels, nobody knows how it really is until you tell them and I'm doing
that in that song.
RS: Wow sixteen years. Speaking about years, why 2007? Why
this year for the big comeback album?
Evelyn Champagne King: Well, actually it would have been 2005 or
2006, but I've been doing nothing but traveling. I've been traveling
since 1977 and I haven't stopped. I haven't even had a vacation and
that's why it happened real quick. With thirty years, I feel very
blessed to keep going like this, so it's like you can't complain
because you're still doing something and they're still playing your
songs on the radio. But I knew that my fans were like Evelyn when are
you coming out with something else. That is beautiful and I love my
fans dearly so I decided just do what I've got to do and I'm just glad
that 2007 is it.
RS: I was at the Dance Music Hall of Fame when your song was
inducted. How did that feel?
Evelyn Champagne King: That was beautiful and actually it was a
dream come true. You know how you wait for something for so long? To
me it's better than getting a Grammy because it's really the people
appreciating your skills and what you've done for all these years with
your voice and the producer and the writers. I want to make sure that
they're acknowledged too. It meant a lot for him to be there, who
discovered me, the producer. I was very proud of myself to know that
once again I'm still here.
RS: How do you think over the years that dance and r&b has changed?
Evelyn Champagne King: Wow, it's changed a lot. Its more about the
beats, but I'd rather hear more singing. I mean it's nice to hear the
beats to make you dance but come on, we miss Sylvester. When
Sylvester was out, no one could touch him. There are some dance
artists out there that are really on top and they're staying in the
groove. Pepper Mashay, Martha Wash – who has never stopped, and
definitely Jeanie Tracy. Look who's there but you can't follow people
like that unless you really know how to bring it, and I'm ready to
bring it. I told them I was ready.
RS: I've always wanted to know and you've probably answered this
a million times, how did Champagne become part of your name?
Evelyn Champagne King: My mom gave me the name. She gave me the
name Bubbles because when I was a baby I blew a lot of spit bubbles.
When I became Evelyn Champagne King, they were trying to figure out a
stage name. My mother said Champagne – which is bubbly and it worked.
It lasted. The record label, RCA, took it off for a moment and I
disagreed and wanted it back so it's still there. Champagne stuck and
my fans love the name and so do I.
RS: When you recorded the song Shame, did you have any idea it
would become such a massive hit?
Evelyn Champagne King: No. Actually I thought it was going to be
the other song "I Don't Know if it's Right."
RS: Really? I was young and as a teenager I knew that teens that are going through things with their boyfriends and they're busy trying to tell them a story or tell them off or something. Listening to the lyrics, I thought it would be a hit and the girls would use it to tell their boyfriends off. At the time I wasn't thinking that Shame was going to blow up but when it did, I listened to the lyrics myself. The more I heard it, the more I pictured and the song Shame is pretty heavy.
RS: I agree. I've played that song a million times.
Evelyn Champagne King: Oh wow and I've sung it a million times. <laughing>
RS: Every couple of years another singer will do their own take
on one of your songs. Have you heard other versions and what do you
think of them?
Evelyn Champagne King: The first version I heard was Zhane. I thought
it was good. I appreciate and it was flattering for me first of all,
that someone would even want to do the song over as that showed
appreciation of what you'd done. I felt that it was a little too slow
because it's party time in the clubs and that's a dance song. I just
knew that someone was going to remake that but that's the only one I
really heard that really stuck out in my memory.
RS: What would you like to say to all of your fans out there?
Evelyn Champagne King: That I really appreciate the support for
thirty years and there's more to come. I'll never let them down
because God gave me this gift and this gift is for my fans.
