One of the things I enjoy most about digging into music history is the way the process sometimes leads me into unexplored territory. The latest example occurred while I was putting together a recent piece about pop star Mel Carter and ran across another singer, a mysterious lady who'd also had a best-selling record of Mel's big hit, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," but a dozen years earlier.
At that time the singer was known as Karen Chandler, but she had performed earlier in her career as Eve Young, and was actually born Eva Nadauld. Although her birth date is unknown, she was a native of Idaho who attended Brigham Young University, which might have helped her pick her first stage name. In any case, by the time she made her first documented professional appearance — singing with Benny Goodman's band on a 1946 radio show — Miss Nadauld was calling herself Eve Young.
Over the next several years Eve Young continued to make a name for herself, first by making more appearances with Goodman and later by working her way into early TV, gaining spots on variety shows like Musical Merry-Go-Round. She also managed to land a recording contract, which led to several successful records, among them "For You, for Me, for Evermore," and "Cuanto la Gusta." At some point along the way she'd also married arranger Jack Pleis, although the date is uncertain.
By 1950, Eve Young's recording contract had expired and she was beginning to cool off a little, but she still continued to show up in key spots from time to time. One of her best was a spotlighted turn on TV's Martin and Lewis Colgate Comedy Hour. (You can see her in the video below if you wait out Jerry's long introduction).
Article comments