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The Whispers came together in 1964, in California, and they were made up of twin brothers Wallace and Walter Scott. Wallace Scott was the voice of the band and was the lead singer on the vast majority of their hits. The Whispers were officially hit makers with the height of their fame being the 1970s and 1980s. Their first breakthrough into Top 40 was the song “Rock Steady”, which made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it to number 7.
They are a band that originally started their career on a major label, but decided to downsize to a smaller label based in Los Angeles called Soul Clock. They were lead by Ron Carson, who became responsible for their huge hit, “Seem Like I Got To Do Wrong” in 1970. Moving again to a larger label called Janus, they decided to stick to working with Carson; however, during the height of their career the band was signed to SOLAR Records who were led by Dick Griffey. Much later in their career they started their own label called Satin Tie Productions, and released an album called “For Your Ears Only”.
They have been responsible for some very memorable performances indeed such as their performance of the National Anthem at the 1989 World Series.
It was in 2014, that The Whispers were inducted into The R&B Music Hall of Fame. The “And the Beat Goes On” singers still perform to this day.
Hailing from the Bronx, New York, US, Evelyn "Champagne" King came from a showbiz family, with her uncle being the actor and singer Avon Long and father, Erik King, a popular vocalist in New York City, US. King moved to Philadelphia, US, with her mother in her teens, with the pair getting jobs as cleaning women, whilst still sharing a passion for singing and music.
King was to gain her break into the musical world through a fortunate coincidence. King and her mother were working at Philadelphia International Records' studio, performing their cleaning duties, when producer T. Life overheard King singing from the washroom. Following this powerful voice, he found 16-year old King to be the source, quickly signing the young artist with a production deal and a contract with RCA.
WIth Life as producer, the pair got to work on her first recordings, with the result being "Dancin' Dancin' Dancin'." By 1977, they had enough material for an album, releasing "Smooth Talk" that same year. The single "Shame" was to be her career-launching single, gaining widespread airplay as well as breaking into the Top Ten of the R&B and Pop charts. The second single, "I Don't Know If It's Right" in 1978 found further success, selling Gold and reaching number seven in the R&B charts. The album went on to be a huge success, with this production partnership continuing for two more albums, "T. Life: Music Box" and "Call on Me."
In the early 1980s, King left Life for the producer Kashif, soon finding two number one hits with the singles, "I'm in Love" and "Love Come Down." Her albums continued to place highly in the charts, with 1982's "Get Loose" selling double-Platinum, garnering attention from EMI Records, who signed King in 1988. King worked with Leon F. Sylvers III on "Flirt" that same year, which reached number 20 in the R&B charts. "The Girl Next Door" followed in 1989 but failed to live up to the same commercial success.
In 1995, she signed with British label, Expansion, releasing "I'll Keep a Light On" which featured the musicians Larry Graham, Jeff Lorber and Paul Jackson Jr. King then took a long break from recording music, not returning to the studio until 2007, releasing "Open Book." Between these years a Greatest Hits album was released in 2001, celebrating King's musical efforts. Following her 2007 album, King released two singles since, with 2008's "The Dance" and 2011's "Everybody," featuring Miguel Migs.
My wife and I have been fans of The Whispers ever since we were dating in the mid sixties. I guess you could say we grew up on their music.
The Whispers were one of the very first concert performances we attended and we've followed them ever since. One of the things we admire about the Whispers is that they are a class act. They are always dressed sharp, are respectful and very appreciative of their fans.
The most impressive thing to me about The Whispers is how the numbers they perform sound just like the original studio recordings. That's not always the case with some artists. That's very important to my wife and I.
The Whispers are a very talented group who along with their Band, make every effort to give their fans what they've come to expect, "Excellence"
Disco sensation of the late 70s and early 80s Evelyn King is a respected figure in the worlds of R & B, neo-soul and disco. Now well into her 50s, Evelyn may recognise the era of disco is far behind yet she is also aware there is a large following for this music for those searching for nostalgia and those interested in the re-invigorated interest in the scene of the 70s and 80s. With prolific artists including Sister Sledge and Chaka Khan all breaking out, many overlook the sensational King yet if you see her perform live she is not as easily forgotten.
The vocal and stage presence are equally impressive as Evelyn slinks around the space in between her many musicians as she absorbs the good vibes at the same time as her crowd. Demonstrating why she was able to stand out in the first place, King shows off her soulful vocal that is retaining well as she is ageing. Understanding the importance of looking after your instrument, the likes of 'Love Come Down' and 'Shame' sound as perfect as when they were first released all those years ago and the audience offer suitably rapturous applause for this likeable leading lady.