Biography
Eva Alice Nadauld, known professionally as "Eve Young" early in her career, and later 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" (performing as Karen Chandler)
Eva began her singing career under the name Eve Young while still a student at Brigham Young University. The Young family was well known locally for their musical talents and were 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. In early 1947, she joined the cast of the television showcase "Musical Merry-Go-Round" and was signed to RCA Victor as a solo artist. She made her chart debut a year later with "Cuanto la Gusta." Oddly, In the UK, she had her biggest success with "(If I Knew You Were Comin') I'd've Baked A Cake" (a U.S. #1 hit for Eileen Barton) and "Silver Dollar (Roll, Roll, Roll)", in both cases credited to Eve Young & The Homesteaders, each reaching the top of the UK sheet music charts in 1950.
Signing a new contract with Coral Records, she emerged in late 1952 under the name Karen Chandler, a name suggested by her husband Jack Pleis, whom she had married in 1950. 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. 7 on the Billboard chart.
In 1957, she released two singles under the Decca label, but with the rise of rock and roll, these largely went unnoticed. She 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.
Eva and Jack Pleis lived in New York City and had three children together.
