| Karen Chandler | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eva Nadauld |
| Born | September 1, 1923 Rexburg, Idaho, United States |
| Died | November 3, 2010 (aged 87) |
| Genres | Traditional Pop |
| Occupations | singer |
| Years active | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s |
Eva Nadauld (September 1, 1923 – November 3, 2010), known professionally as Karen Chandler, was an American singer of popular music during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, best known for her 1952 hit, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me".
Born September 1, 1923, in Rexburg, Idaho, she began her singing career under the name Eve Young while still a student at Brigham Young University, and it is possible that the university's name influenced her choice of stage name. She used the name Young as it was her Mother's maiden name; the Young family was well known for their musical talents and locally called the "Singin' Swingin' Youngs".
She made her national debut on Benny Goodman's NBC radio showcase on July 8, 1946, singing "I Don't Know Why," and became the Goodman Orchestra's featured vocalist for the remainder of that year.
By early 1947, she joined the cast of the television showcase Musical Merry-Go-Round and was subsequently signed to RCA Victor as a solo artist. She made her chart debut a year later with "Cuanto la Gusta" before recording "My Darling, My Darling" as a duet with the Drugstore Cowboys vocalist Jack Lathrop. Although both of these records were hits, her subsequent releases, such as "Laughing Boy" and "It's Me" achieved less success, and in 1950 RCA terminated her contract.
After signing a new contract with Coral Records, she emerged again in late 1952 under the name Karen Chandler. Her debut for Coral was the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," and it became an enormous hit. Selling over a million copies, it peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard charts and was quickly followed by a second single, "The Old Sewing Machine" b/w "I Hear the Music Now,"[1] which did not enjoy the same success. Her third release, "Goodbye Charlie, Goodbye" in the spring of 1953, fared better, reaching the Top 40, but two follow-ups, "Rosebud" and "Transfer", failed to make an impact. Chandler's final solo hit, "Why?" reached the charts in 1954.
Two subsequent recordings, "Positively No Dancing" and "Why Didn't You Tell Me?" were also unsuccessful, and in 1956 she changed genres, teaming up with country singer Jimmy Wakely for the duet "Tonight You Belong to Me". This was followed at the end of 1956 by another duet, "As Far as I'm Concerned," which this time paired Chandler with Eddie Reardon.
In 1957, she released two singles under the Decca label, "Love Is the $64,000 Question" and "Free Little Bird", but with the rise in popularity of Rock and Roll, these largely went unnoticed. Karen Chandler had a minor comeback in 1967-68 with a revival of Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well" on Dot. It reached No. 19 on Billboard's easy listening chart. She did not chart in the US again.
She was married to arranger Jack Pleis. She died November 3, 2010, and is survived by her children Michelle Stirber, Jason Pleis and Damon Pleis.[2]