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Born Robert Lee Helms in Bloomington, Indiana on August 15, 1933, Bobby Helms was a country and rockabilly singer best known for his classic Christmas single “Jingle Bell Rock.” Born into a musical family, he began his musical career performing in a duo with his brother Freddie. Pursuing a solo career, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1956 where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records. After the single “Tennessee Rock and Roll” (1956) failed to chart, Bobby Helms scored a massive hit with “Fraulein,” which reached Number 1 on Billboard’s Country Singles chart in 1957. His next single, “My Special Angel,” also climbed to Number 1. His next single, “Jingle Bell Rock,” was released at the end of 1957 and reached Number 13 and eventually became the song he was best known for. In 1958, “Jingle Bell Rock” charted again and hit Number 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart. The song refused to go away, charting during the holiday season in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1996, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. His debut album, Bobby Helms Sings to My Special Angel (1957) featured the Number 5 hit “Jacqueline” and the single “Schoolboy Crush,” which was a hit in England. Bobby Helms’ final Top 20 single in the US was 1960’s “Lonely River Rhino,” although he continued to release singles and albums throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. While albums such as All New Just for You (1968) and Before Your Heartaches Begin (1969) were largely overlooked, Bobby Helms was eventually acknowledged as a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll and was entered into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Later in his life, he began to deal with health issues, losing sight in his right eye and wearing a patch for the remainder of his life. Bobby Helms died from emphysema on June 19, 1997, at the age of 62. His musical career has been re-evaluated over the years with the release of several compilations including The Complete Releases 1955-62 (2017) and Frauleins, Jacquelines and Special Angels (2019).
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