More Info on Bobby HelmsSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Refimprove|date=April 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Bobby Helms| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Robert Lee Helms| alias =| birth_date = birth date|1933|08|15| origin = Bloomington, Indiana|Bloomington , Indiana , United States|U.S. | death_date = Death date and age|1997|06|19|1933|08|15| instrument = guitar | genre = Country music|country | occupation = singing|singer | years_active = 1955& ndash;1997| label = Decca, Columbia, Vocalion| associated_acts =| website = Robert Lee Helms (August 15, 1933& ndash;June 19, 1997), better known as Bobby Helms , was an United States|American country music singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957 with his hit, " Jingle Bell Rock ". He was mostly known for the Christmas song. His other hits include "Fraulein" and " My Special Angel ".
Biography
Born in Bloomington, Indiana|Bloomington , Indiana into a musical family, Helms began performing as a duet (music)|duo with his sibling|brother , Freddie, before going on to a successful solo (music)|solo career in country music. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville , Tennessee , where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records . The following year was filled with astonishing successes. Helms' first single (music)|single in 1957 titled " Fraulein (song)|Fraulein " went to No. 1 on the country music record chart|chart and made it into the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100| Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later that same year he released " My Special Angel ", which also hit No. 1 on the country charts and entered the Top 40|Top 10 on '' Billboard (magazine)|Billboard's pop music chart, peaking at No. 7.
Released just a few days before Christmas 1957, his song "Jingle Bell Rock" was a big chart-topper|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. It took five years for this song to become a second million seller for Helms.cite book| first= Joseph | last= Murrells| year= 1978| title= The Book of Golden Discs| edition= 2nd| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London| page= 102| isbn= 0-214-20512-6 It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100| Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks in the record chart|chart . The gramophone record|record gained music recording sales certification|gold disc status. Accounts that Helms songwriter|wrote and recorded the song with Hank Garland seem to be apocrypha l & mdash; American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers|ASCAP and Allmusic list the writers of the song as Joseph Beal, Joseph Carlton, James Ross and James Boothe. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll? p=amg& sql=17:793783~2~T00A Allmusic.comDead link|date=January 2011|bot=CactusBot
Helms continued touring and sound recording and reproduction|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 his death from emphysema and asthma at the age of 63 in 1997. http://users.efortress.com/doc-rock/1996.html The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996 - 1997
He was portrayed by actor Brad Hawkins in the 2007 film , Crazy (2007 film)|Crazy .
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p21836/biography|pure_url=yes Helms biography at Allmusic website
Persondata | NAME =Helms, Bobby | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =August 15, 1933 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH =June 19, 1997 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Helms, Bobby Category:1933 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American pop singers Category:Deaths from emphysema Category:People from Bloomington, Indiana Category:Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductees Category:Decca Records artists
