Evelyn King

• Born: December 15, 1921, Berlin, Germany
• Died: April 28, 2001, Berlin, Germany
• Active: '30s, '40s, '50s, '70s
• Genres: Vocal Music
• Instrument: Vocals

Biography

Singer and cabaret artist Evelyn King (whose real name was Evelyn Künneke) was born on December 15, 1921, in Berlin, Germany. The daughter of an operetta composer (Eduard Künneke) and opera singer (Katarina Krapotkin), King began her career as a dancer at Berlin's State Opera in the late '30s. In 1939, Nazis banned her from performing under her stage name of Evelyn King, so she began working in movies and recording pop songs, as she performed regularly on the wartime military entertainment circuit, scoring her best-known song in 1941 with "Sing Nightingale Sing." After the war, King continued to work in movies and music, but retired in the '60s. Her retirement was short-lived, as she staged a comeback a decade later, appearing on stage in small productions and variety shows almost right up until her death at the age of 79 on April 28, 2001. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide