Bobby Helms

Artist Image: Bobby Helms
Attribution
Image Credit: Little Darlin' (Billboard, page 54, 30 March 1968), Public domain

Biography

Bobby Helms (born Robert Lee Helms) (15 August 1933 - 19 June 1997) was an American rockabilly singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957. Born in Bloomington, Indiana into a musical family, he began performing as a duo with his brother before going on to a successful solo career in country music. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records. The following year would be filled with astonishing successes. Helms' first single in 1957 titled "Fraulein" went to No. 1 on the country music charts and made it into the Top 40 on the pop music charts. Later that same year he released "My Special Angel" that also went to No. 1 on the country charts and entered the Top 10 on Billboard magazines pop music charts, peaking at No. 7. Released just a few days before Christmas of 1957, his song "Jingle Bell Rock" was a big hit but uniquely, it re-emerged four out of the next five years and sold so well that it repeated each time as a top hit and became a Christmas classic still played to this day. Bobby Helms continued touring and recording for the next three decades. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Helms spent most of his later years living just outside of Martinsville, Indiana, until the time of his death from emphysema and asthma in 1997.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1933
Number of Albums 6
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Bobby Helms on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Genres

Trivia

What label did Bobby Helms make his recording debut for?

Decca

...get caught up in the world of pop music. He made his recording debut for Decca , and they instantly saw that with his good looks, and with popular musi...
What genre of music did Bobby make his debut for?

pop

...teeped in country roots, somehow managed to get caught up in the world of pop music. He made his recording debut for Decca, and they instantly saw tha...
What was Bobby's first hit for Decca?

Tennessee RocknRoll

...at direction than country music. His first hit for Decca was with Tennessee RocknRoll in 1956, which went high in the pop charts. Bobby Helms continue...
When was his first hit with Tennessee RocknRoll released?

1956

...n country music. His first hit for Decca was with Tennessee RocknRoll in 1956 , which went high in the pop charts. Bobby Helms continued turning out th...
What was the name of the selfwritten hit Bobby Helm was known for?

Love My Lady

... Helms continued turning out the hits throughout the late 1950s like Love My Lady (selfwritten), Just A Little Lonesome, Jacqueline, I Guess Ill Miss ...
In what decade did Bobby Helms end his career as a hitparade artist?

1960s

...The Prom, and one of his finest recordings New River Train. In the early 1960s though, Bobby Helms reign as a regular hitparade artist came to an end....
What was one of his finest recordings?

New River Train

...ueline, I Guess Ill Miss The Prom, and one of his finest recordings New River Train . In the early 1960s though, Bobby Helms reign as a regular hitpara...
What label did Bobby Helms join in the mid-1960s as a country singer?

Columbia

...itparade artist came to an end. He changed record companies and joined Columbia , but success still eluded him, and his recordings consisted of a few i...
How many albums did Bobby record with Kapp?

two

... hit the charts with Sorry My Name Isnt Fred? His days with Kapp produced two very enjoyable modern country albums and proved that Bobby Helms had the...
What was the name of the country artist who released his best country music?

Little Darlin Records

...ntry albums and proved that Bobby Helms had the right feel for country music. His best recordings though, came with the move to Little Darlin Records ....
In what city was Helms born?

Bloomington, Indiana

...Life and career edit Helms was born in Bloomington, Indiana , the son of Hildreth Esther (Abram) and Fred Robert Helms. Helms began performing as a duo...
What is the name of Helms' father?

Fred Robert Helms

...rn in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of Hildreth Esther (Abram) and Fred Robert Helms . Helms began performing as a duo with his brother, Freddie, befor...
Where did Helms make his way to in 1956?

Nashville, Tennessee

...ful solo career in country music. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee , where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records, and ac...
What record label was Helms signed a recording contract with?

Decca Records

...y to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records , and achieved multiple successes the following year. 1 on the count...
How many of the subsequent five years did The Special Angel reemerge as a top hit?

four

...r, he released My Special Angel, which also hit No. It also reemerged in four out of the next five years, and sold so well that it repeated each time ...
What was the name of the Christmas classic still played today?

My Special Angel

...rd Best Sellers in Stores chart. Later that same year, he released My Special Angel , which also hit No. It also reemerged in four out of the next five...
How long did it take for the song to become a second millionseller for Helms?

five years

... third mostplayed Christmas song, according to StationIntel.) It took five years for the song to become a second millionseller for Helms. 6 on the Bil...
How many weeks did the song spend on the Billboard Hot 100?

21

...r the song to become a second millionseller for Helms. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks on the chart. The record gained gold disc status....
What year was the song rated radio's third mostplayed Christmas song?

2016

... time as a top hit, becoming a Christmas classic still played today. (In 2016 , it was rated radio's third mostplayed Christmas song, according to Stat...
How long did the record stay on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?

21 weeks

...r the song to become a second millionseller for Helms. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks on the chart. The record gained gold disc status....
When does Bobby Helms rule the airwaves?

every year around December 25th

... name is unfamiliar to most, Bobby Helms rules the airwaves every year around December 25th . His single Jingle Bell Rock first became a hit in 1957, a...
When did Jingle Bell Rock first become a hit?

1957

... around December 25th. His single Jingle Bell Rock first became a hit in 1957 , and it reappeared on the charts four of the following five years to bec...
When was Helms born?

Bloomington, IN

...with two number one hits to his credit. Born on August 15, 1933, in Bloomington, IN , Helms first performed on his father Fred's Monroe County Jamboree...
Who played guitar at the Monroe County Jamboree?

Freddie

...rmed on his father Fred's Monroe County Jamboree, singing while brother Freddie played guitar. The Helms Brothers, as they were billed, became a regio...
What was the name of Bobby's hit single?

Jingle Bell Rock

...lms rules the airwaves every year around December 25th. His single Jingle Bell Rock first became a hit in 1957, and it reappeared on the charts four o...
How long did My Special Angel last?

four weeks

...er, Helms released another number one, My Special Angel, which stayed four weeks at the top and crossed over to number seven pop. Helms' next recordin...
What year was Bobby Helms born?

1933

...Introduction Bobby Helms (born Robert Lee Helms in 1933 died in 1997) was an American country singer, born in Martinsville, Indiana from a musical fam...
In what state did Bobby Helm live?

Tennessee

...die. Helms forged to become a country singer and so went to Nashville, Tennessee . Helms went on to record and perform in the next three decades before...
What was the name of the duo formed by Freddie and Freddie?

The Helms Brothers

...entually formed a duo. They later became a regional attraction as The Helms Brothers but had a shortlived career. He later went to Nashville where he ...
What country singer songwriter led the recording session?

Ernest Tubb

...r. He later went to Nashville where he got a job singing background vocals on a recording session led by another country singersongwriter Ernest Tubb ....
How many country songs did Bob Helms sell in 1957?

three million

...Helms was a country singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957 with three million sellers that crossed over to the pop charts. But he is not forgotte...
Who hosted the Monroe County Jamboree in Bloomington, Indiana?

His father

...Christmas classic Jingle Bell Rock. Helms grew up with country music. His father hosted the Monroe County Jamboree in Bloomington, Indiana, Bobbys bir...
How old was Bobby when he started singing?

13

... It was on this show that Helms started his musical career, at the age of 13 , singing while his brother Freddie played guitar. By the time he was 18, ...
How many singles were released in 1955 for the Speed label of Nashville?

Two

...Helms made his first recordings in 1955 for the Speed label of Nashville. Two singles were released during that year, pure hillbilly. At the recommend...
Who recognized Bobby's contribution to the rockabilly genre?

Rockabilly Hall of Fame

...pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame . Helms spent most of his later years living just outside of Ma...
What disease caused his death in 1997?

emphysema and asthma

...Fame. Helms spent most of his later years living just outside of Martinsville, Indiana, until the time of his death from emphysema and asthma in 1997....