| Karen Young | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Karen Young |
| Birth Date: | March 23, 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Death Place: | Susquehanna, Pennsylvania |
| Genre: | Disco |
| Years Active: | 1970 - 1991 |
| Associated Acts: | Sandd |
| Label: | Altra Moda Music |
Karen Young (March 23, 1951 - January 26, 1991)[1] was an American disco singer known for her 1978 hit song "Hot Shot".[2]
Young grew up in a Northeast Philadelphia rowhouse. She began as a singer of jingles and backing vocalist for Philadelphia-based production companies. In the early 1970s, she performed with the group Sandd, featuring Frank Gilckin (lead guitar), George Emertz (rhythm guitar), Frank Ferraro (bass guitar) and Dennis Westman (drums).
In 1978, Young released the single "Hot Shot", written and produced by (Andy) Andrew Kahn and Kurt Borusiewicz. The song spent two weeks at number 1 on Billboards disco chart and eventually peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. An album, also titled Hot Shot, was then released by West End Records of New York City. The song propelled Young to international fame. By 1981, the disco fad had dissipated, and Young was unable to duplicate her success. Young continued her singing career as a local performer in the Philadelphia area, and the song "Hot Shot" became a hit.[2]
She died at age 39 of a possible bleeding peptic ulcer on January 26, 1991, at her home in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.[2]
"Hot Shot" was featured in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune and in the 2020 documentary The Times of Bill Cunningham. The song was a featured sample in Daft Punk's song "Indo Silver Club" on their album Homework. The song was also used by ITV in the mid-1980s during its coverage of the World Snooker Championship for "hot shots" compilations during the tournament. Hot Shot was covered by the pop band, Blondie and included as a bonus track on the Japan and South Africa editions of their comeback album, No Exit. Various remixes of the song were released in 2007. "Hot Shot" made three separate appearances in the UK Singles Chart in 1978, 1979, and 1997. The highest placing was number 34.[3]
"Rendezvous with Me," a song written by Kahn in 1979, was intended as a follow-up to "Hot Shot," but it was never finished.[4] Discovered in Kahn's tape vault, "Rendezvous with Me" was released by MaxRoxx Music in March 2009.
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 [5] | US Dance | UK | ||||
| 1978 | "Hot Shot" | 67 | 1 | 34 | West End Records | |
| "Bring on the Boys" | — | 31 | — | |||
| "Baby You Ain't Nothing Without Me" | — | — | — | |||
| 1980 | "One Sure Way" | — | — | — | Sunshine Recordings | |
| "God Bless America" | — | — | — | |||
| 1981 | "Dynamite" | — | 69 | — | ||
| 1982 | "Expressway to Your Heart" | — | — | — | Atlantic | |
| "Deetour" | — | 34 | — | |||
| 1983 | "Hot for You" | — | — | — | Sunshine Recordings | |
| "You Don't Know What You Got " | — | — | 91 | Boardwalk Records, Inc. | ||
| 1984 | "Come-a-Runnin'" | — | — | — | West End Records | |
| 1987 | "Change in Me" | — | — | — | Wide Angle Records | |
| 2008 | "Hot Shot - The Karen Young Reheat"[6] | — | 7 | — | MaxRoxx Music | |
| 2009 | "Rendezvous with Me" | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||