Helen Clark (singer)

Helen Clark
Background information
OccupationSinger
Years active1910-1930
LabelsVictor, Columbia, Edison, Berliner

Helen Clark was an American contralto and soprano singer, known for her recordings of popular songs such as "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles."

Early life

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Clark was born in Rochester, New York.[1] She began singing in church choirs at the age of nine.[1] She moved to New York City at seventeen and studied under Madame Jaeger of the Metropolitan Opera House. She had several small parts in operas at that time.[1]

Career

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Clark began her career in 1910, recording with Zonophone and moved to the Victor label where she mostly recorded through 1930.[2][3] Clark had an early success on Victor with "My Trundle Bed."[4] She was also an early recording artist on the Edison label, being recorded on both cylinders and discs.[5] She would perform live accompanying her own recorded voice on a New Edison phonograph as a promotion for the device.[6][7][8]

Clark charted four times as a singer.

  • "When I Waltz with You" hit #5 (1913)
  • "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile" hit #8 (1917)
  • "One for All and All for One" hit #7 (1918)
  • "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles," a duet with George Wilton Ballard hit #10 (1919)

Clark was notable for her pairings with many male baritones singing romantic duets in the late 1910's.[4] She recorded duets with baritone Joseph Phillips on the OKeh label and Walter VanBrunt and Henry Burr on Victor.[9][10] She also sang duets with Bruce Wallace, Lewis James, Charles Hart and Roy Roberts in the 1920s.[11] She had a lull in recordings and then in 1924 made what Record Research called "a spectacular comeback" recording with Elliot Shaw and Lewis James and again becoming a leading popular recording artist. Her solo career was mainly wrapped up by the late 1920s and she sang mainly in group and orchestral arrangements after that.[4]

Clark also recorded under the names Grace Woods, Emma Johnson, May Meredith, Rose Collins, Sallie Collins, and Jane Collins, and possibly under the name Ruth Lenox.[12][13][14] She was a prolific artist, listed on nearly 500 recordings, her career spanning the time period between acoustic and electronic recordings.[14] She was a member of the Victor Light Opera Company, the Trinity Choir, and the Royal Stenographers Orchestra where she was a soloist.[15] Her voice was said to be "admirably suited to radio broadcasting."[16]

Little is known about her personal life. She was said to have married twice, the first time to "a son of C.B. Haynes" and the second time to Evan Cameron.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Edison Artists". The Edison Phonograph Monthly. March 1913. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Emma Johnson "Cold Weather Papa" It's the Blues Jim but not as we know it". The Document Records Store. 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  3. ^ Gracyk, Tim (1997). "New Book: Moanin' Low". Victrola and 78 Journal. 11: 74. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Charosh, Paul (February 1958). "A History of Romantic Duets". Record Research (16). Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  5. ^ Edison Re-Creations. Orange, NJ: Thomas A. Edison, Inc. 1918. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Recital by Miss Clark is Thoroughly Unique". Elmira Star-Gazette. March 14, 1917. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Ad: Re-Creation". Kingston Daily Freeman. April 29, 1916. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Edison Concert Proved Musical Treat to Audience". Appeal-Democrat. Marysville California. October 31, 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  9. ^ Laird, Ross; Rust, Brian (2004). Discography of OKeh Records, 1918-1934. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 0313311420. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  10. ^ Annand, Major H. H. (1970). "The Indestructible Record Company: A Listing of American & British Two and Four-Minute Cylinders, 1907-1922". Internet Archive. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  11. ^ Laird, Ross (1996). Moanin' low : a discography of female popular vocal recordings, 1920-1933. Greenwood Press. pp. 95–97. ISBN 0313292418. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  12. ^ Sutton, Allen (2001). Pseudonyms on American records, 1892-1942 : a guide to false names and label errors. Denver, Colorado: Mainspring Press. ISBN 0967181917. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  13. ^ Clark, Helen (Contralto) (2007-07-07). "Library of Congress". LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  14. ^ a b "Helen Clark". Discography of American Historical Recordings. 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  15. ^ "Radio Gossip". Star-Gazette. Elmira, NY. November 11, 1927. p. 25. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Plenty of Dance Music Here". Buffalo News. March 13, 1926. p. 47. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Colorful Correspondence". Hobbies. 87 (4): 68. June 1982. ISSN 1084-0818. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
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