Helen Clark (singer) explained

Helen Clark
Occupation:Singer
Years Active:1910-1930
Label:Victor, 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

Clark was born in Rochester, New York.[1] She began singing in church choirs at the age of nine. 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.

Career

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.

Clark was notable for her pairings with many male baritones singing romantic duets in the late 1910's. 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.

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. 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]

External links

Notes and References

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