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Bobby Helms (born Robert Lee Helms, 15 August 1933 – 19 June 1997) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957.

in Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington is a city and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 69,291 and its Bloomington, Indiana metropolitan area had a population of 175,506....
, Indiana
Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
, into a musical family, he began performing as a duo
Duet (music)

A duet is a musical composition or musical piece for two performers. In classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word Wiktionary:duo is also often used....
 with his brother
Sibling

A sibling is a brother or a sister; that is, any person who shares the same parents.In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood with each other....
, Freddie, before going on to a successful solo
Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer. In practice this means a number of different things, depending on the type of music and the context....
 career in country music
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
, where he signed a recording contract
Recording contract

A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote....
 with Decca Records
Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. The following year would be filled with astonishing successes.






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Bobby Helms (born Robert Lee Helms, 15 August 1933 – 19 June 1997) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957.

Career

Born in Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington is a city and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 69,291 and its Bloomington, Indiana metropolitan area had a population of 175,506....
, Indiana
Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
, into a musical family, he began performing as a duo
Duet (music)

A duet is a musical composition or musical piece for two performers. In classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word Wiktionary:duo is also often used....
 with his brother
Sibling

A sibling is a brother or a sister; that is, any person who shares the same parents.In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood with each other....
, Freddie, before going on to a successful solo
Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer. In practice this means a number of different things, depending on the type of music and the context....
 career in country music
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
, where he signed a recording contract
Recording contract

A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote....
 with Decca Records
Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. The following year would be filled with astonishing successes. Helms' first single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 in 1957 titled "Fräulein
Fräulein

In German language, Fr?ulein is used as a title for young girls. Historically, it was used as a title for unmarried women as opposed to Frau for married women....
" went to No. 1 on the country music chart
Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
 and made it into the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard Single popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on airplay and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the airplay tracking-week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday....
 chart. 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's pop music
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 chart, peaking at No. 7.

Released just a few days before Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
 of 1957, his song
Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
 "Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell Rock

"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas music. It was first released by Bobby Helms in 1957 and has received frequent airplay during every Christmas time since then....
", was a big hit. Uniquely, it also 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. Stories that Helms wrote
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
 and recorded the song "Jingle Bell Rock" with legendary guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
 player Hank Garland
Hank Garland

Walter L. "Hank" Garland was a legendary Nashville, Tennessee studio musician.Born in Cowpens, South Carolina, Garland began playing the guitar at the age of 6....
 seem to be apocryphal
Apocrypha

Apocrypha are texts of uncertain authenticity, or writings where the authorship is questioned.When used in the specific context of Judeo-Christian theology, the term apocrypha refers to any collection of scriptural texts that falls outside the Biblical canon....
. ASCAP and Allmusic list the writers of the song as Joseph Beal, Joseph Carlton, James Ross and James Boothe.

Helms continued touring and recording
Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
 for the next three decades. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame

The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on March 21, 1997 to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering United States music genre....
.

Helms spent most of his later years living just outside of Martinsville, Indiana
Martinsville, Indiana

Martinsville is a city in Morgan County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The population was 11,698 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Morgan County, Indiana....
, until the time of his death from emphysema
Emphysema

Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . It is often caused by exposure to toxin Chemical substance, including long-term exposure to tobacco smoking....
 and asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
, at the age of 63 in 1997.

He was portrayed by the actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
 Brad Hawkins
Brad Hawkins

Brad Hawkins is an United States film actor and television actor and a country singer and martial artist, best known for playing Ryan Steele in the TV series VR Troopers ....
, in the 2007 film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
, Crazy.

Selected album discography

  • Jingle Bell Rock - (1957) - Pilz
  • To My Special Angel - (1957) - Decca
    Decca Records

    Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
  • I'm the Man - (1966) - Kapp
    Kapp Records

    Kapp Records was a record label started in 1955 in music by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK....
  • Sorry My Name Isn't Fred - (1966) - Kapp
  • All New Just For You - (1968) - Little Darlin'
  • Pop-a-Billy - (1983) - MCA
    MCA Records

    MCA Records was an United States-based record label owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part....


See also

  • List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements and trivia
    List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements and trivia

    This list highlights significant milestones and achievements based upon Billboard's singles charts, most notably the Billboard Hot 100.This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present....


External links