Myra English (February 22, 1933 – March 29, 2001) was a popular performer and celebrity in Hawaii, known as "The Champagne Lady" of

Hawaiian music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part ...

. In 1968, she zoomed to the top of the local

record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often ...

with her hit “Drinking Champagne”. Written by

Bill Mack William or Bill Mack may refer to: * William Mack (Ontario politician) (1828–1897), Ontario businessman and political figure * William L. Mack (1924–2009), provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada * William Mack (judge) (1904–1979), ...

, it became her signature song.

Early life

Born February 22, 1933 in

Makawao Makawao is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, Maui County, Hawaii, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakala on East Maui ...

on the island of Maui, English was raised in Paia where she first began performing as a singer and instrumentalist. She graduated from Maui High School and attended business school on

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

. She later moved to

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, where she continued to hone her performing talent.

Career

While working in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Washington in 1968, English heard the song “Drinking Champagne” on the radio. At the time, the song was a hit for the

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

performer Cal Smith. CMT Due to her experience as an entertainer, she knew that the song was well suited for the Hawaiian audience. Returning to Hawaii, she recorded the song for Hula Records. Hula Records Her version of the song became a regional hit, and went on to become a standard. Due to her success with “Drinking Champagne”, English established herself as a successful entertainer in

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

. Her fame led her to become a leading spokesman for the Hawaiian tourism industry, and she worked for such companies as

Aloha Airlines Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport (now Daniel K. Inouye International Airport). Operations began on July 26, 1946, and ceased operations on March 31 ...

, Hawaiian Air,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

, and the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau. Continuing to perform successfully, she gained some success in Japan. In addition to her success as a performer and promoter of Hawaii tourism, she also worked as an assistant to various state legislators.

Personal life

English was married to Chelliot Wayne Gibbs for 46 years, when she died on March 29, 2001 (aged 68). They had four children: Pat Cabrera, Wayne Gibbs, Kenneth Gibbs, and John Gibbs.

Legacy

The Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts awarded English the 2001

Na Hoku Hanohano The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

Lifetime Achievement Award Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts for her contributions to the entertainment industry in Hawaii.

References

External links

Myra English Obituary
Retrieved September 28, 2007.

Retrieved September 28, 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:English, Myra People from Paia, Hawaii Musicians from Hawaii 1933 births 2001 deaths Hawaiian ukulele players 20th-century American musicians Native Hawaiian musicians Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners