Bobby Helms

Robert Lee Helms was born on August 15, 1933, in Helmsburg, Indiana, a small community outside Bloomington named for his family, the son of Hildreth Esther (née Abram) and Fred Robert Helms. His family was musical. Helms began performing as a duo with his brother, Freddie, before going on to a successful solo career in country music. Helms was married three times and was the father of eight children. His first two marriages ended in divorce, while he married his third wife in April 1997, two months before his death.

In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records, and achieved multiple successes the following year. His first single in 1957, titled "Fraulein", went to number one on the country music chart and made it into the top 40 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart. Later that same year, he released "My Special Angel", which also hit number one on the country charts and entered the top 10 on Billboard's pop music chart, peaking at number seven. It sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. His song "Jingle Bell Rock", which was released in the late fall of 1957, produced by Paul Cohen was a big hit and was being played and danced to on Dick Clark's teen dance show American Bandstand by mid-December of that year. It also re-emerged in four out of the next five years, and sold so well that it repeated each time as a top hit, becoming a Christmas classic still played today. (In 2016, it was rated radio's third-most-played Christmas song, according to StationIntel). It took five years for the song to become a second million-seller for Helms. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 21 weeks on the chart. The record gained gold disc status. At the end of a television performance of the song toward the end of his life, Helms said, "I didn't want to do the song when they first brought it to me, but now I'm sure glad I did." ASCAP and AllMusic list the writers of the song as Joseph Beal, Joseph Carlton, James Ross, and James Boothe. Another record by Helms was "Schoolboy Crush", which was a hit in the UK. It was released in the United States on June 23, 1958, on Decca. The same song was then covered by UK teen star Cliff Richard about the same time as the UK release. Helms continued touring and recording for the next three decades. His pioneering contributions to the genre have been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He was portrayed by Brad Hawkins in the 2007 film Crazy.

Helms suffered from emphysema, asthma, diabetes, and stomach problems. He began wearing an eye patch after losing sight in his right eye. He was a longtime resident of Martinsville, Indiana, until his death from complications from emphysema at the age of 63 on June 19, 1997.

Sings to My Special Angel (Decca, 1957) I'm the Man (Kapp, 1966) Sorry My Name Isn't Fred (Kapp, 1966) All New Just for You (Little Darlin', 1968) Pop-a-Billy (MCA, 1983) A Bobby Helms Christmas [EP] (Geffen, 2024)