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 par ...

. 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, ofte ...

with her hit “Drinking Champagne”. Written by Bill Mack, it became her signature song.

Early life

Born February 22, 1933, in

Makawao Makawao is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakalā, the community is known for being the hub of Upcountry Maui, a p ...

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 (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

. She later moved to

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, where she continued to hone her performing talent.

Career

While working in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, 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 popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

performer

Cal Smith Calvin Grant Shofner (April 7, 1932 – October 10, 2013), known professionally as Cal Smith, was an American country musician, most famous for his 1974 hits " Country Bumpkin" and " It's Time to Pay the Fiddler". Career Calvin Grant Shofner was ...

. 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. Her fame led her to become a leading spokesman for the Hawaiian

tourism industry Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, and she worked for such companies as

Aloha Airlines Aloha Airlines was an airline in the United States that operated passenger flights from 1946 until 2008. It was headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from its hub at Honolulu International Airport (now Daniel K. Inouye International Air ...

, Hawaiian Air,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...

, 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 A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-natio ...

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 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 1933 births 2001 deaths Ukulele players from Hawaii 20th-century American musicians Native Hawaiian musicians Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners