Evangeline (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana , United States |
| Products | Country music albums and singles |
Evangeline was a country music group based in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The original lineup consisted of Kathleen Stieffel (guitar, vocals), Sharon Leger (bass guitar, washboard, vocals), Beth McKee (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Rhonda Lohmeyer (lead guitar), Nancy Buchan (fiddle, mandolin), and Dudley Fruge (drums). The band issued two studio records: their 1992 eponymous debut and 1994's French Quarter Moon, both released through Margaritaville Records, a label under MCA Records owned by Jimmy Buffett.
Biography
Evangeline first attracted attention by competing in contests such as Jazz Search in 1988 and the True Value Country Music Showdown. Their talent caught the eye of singer Jimmy Buffett, leading to a contract with his Margaritaville Records imprint affiliated with MCA.
The group's initial album from 1992, with Buffett serving as executive producer, did not spawn any singles that charted in the US. However, the track "If I Had a Heart" reached number 81 on Canada's RPM Country Tracks chart. After Fruge and Buchan left the ensemble, their 1994 release French Quarter Moon produced their first US charting single, "Let's Go Spend Your Money Honey," which climbed to number 70 on the Billboard country charts. This album also featured "She's a Wild One," a song that would later become a Number One hit for Faith Hill under the title "Wild One."
In 1996, a third album titled Louisiana Aye Yi Yi was released; it had been recorded back in 1990 with Lohmeyer, Leger, and Leslie Doyle. This final album showcased Zydeco and Cajun influences and included compositions by Rockin' Sidney (Sidney Simien), D. L. Menard, as well as traditional Cajun tunes.
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Evangeline |
|
| French Quarter Moon |
|
| Louisiana Aye Yi Yi |
|
Singles
style="font-size:smaller;"| Year | Single | Highest chart position achieved |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1992 | "Bayou Boy" | — | — | Evangeline |
| "Am I a Fool" | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "If I Had a Heart" | — | 81 | |
| "I'm Still Loving You" | — | — | French Quarter Moon | |
| 1994 | "Let's Go Spend Your Money Honey" | 70 | — | |
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Bayou Boy" | Jim Shea |
| 1993 | "Still Lovin' You" | Sara Nichols |
| "Let's Go Spend Your Money Honey" | Jim Shea |