The Beauty of Song, Part Two: Soul singer Evelyn "Champagne" King

Evelyn "Champagne" King began a long career in rhythm and blues at the age of seventeen, when she released her debut LP Smooth Talk.



She's had several hits in the past three decades, including "I'm in Love" and "Love Come Down," which both topped the Billboard R&B chart. When one of her records displaced a record from Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, at the top of the chart, the pop press noted that the Queen had been dethroned by a King. :-D

The Beauty of Song, Part Two: Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry, the lead singer for the American New Wave band Blondie, was so synonymous with her group that many people thought she was a solo artist and Blondie was her stage name.



She was and remains the classiest woman to ever front a rock and roll band. Many of today's female singers can't even come close to replicating Harry's sense of style.

Blondie's hits included "Heart Of Glass," "Call Me," and a remake of the reggae song "The Tide Is High."

The Beauty Of Song, Part Two: Country singer Crystal Gayle

The younger sister of the legendary Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle - born Brenda Gail Webb in 1951 - became famous in Nashville for two things: her large voice and her long hair.



Indeed, her hair is a great part of her identity. Crystal Gayle looks the part of one of those mythical Southern country girls with long pretty hair reaching down to their shoes, like the old Jodi doll from the 1970s.

Asked once by her record company to cut her hair, Gayle refused to, especially after getting feedback from her daughter about what would result if she did. "Mom," she told her, "you won't be Crystal Gayle."



Crystal Gayle is no lightweight as a singer, possessing a strong voice and an ability to use it well. She had a string of hit country singles on the pop charts in the late seventies, back when noted country music fan Jimmy Carter was president. Her hits included "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "Talking In Your Sleep," and "Half The Way."

The Beauty of Song, Part Two: Singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Canada whose sound has been described as "alternative country."



After an extended player and two albums, Edwards broke through in 2005 with her album Back To Me, which included the title track and "In State," both released as singles. Her 2008 album Asking For Flowers, her most successful LP to date, featured the single "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory."