Helen Clare facts for kids

Helen Clare, whose real name was Nelly Harrison, was a famous British singer. She was born on November 29, 1916, and passed away on September 15, 2018. Helen was very popular in the 1930s and 1940s. She performed on radio and early television, and also made many recordings. Her clear, high singing voice, called a soprano, made her special. She worked with big names in music like Jack Jackson and Henry Hall. Helen Clare was one of the last singers from the 1930s still alive for a long time.

Helen Clare's Early Life and Talent

Nelly Harrison was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, on November 29, 1916. This was during the First World War. She had an older brother named Tom. When Nelly was four, her family moved to Australia. They settled in Burswood, a suburb of Perth.

Nelly started performing in cinemas at a young age. She often dressed like Baby Peggy, a popular child star from Hollywood. Later, she performed in pantomimes in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. She was known as "Little Nellie Harrison - Child Wonder." Nelly even sang grand opera songs, like the "Jewel Song" from Faust. She once sang a duet with the famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.

Nelly's voice impressed both critics and audiences. Melba herself said that Nelly's voice "must be preserved." In 1926, Nelly performed in a production of Aladdin in Sydney. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper wrote that she received a lot of applause. They noted that Nelly, a "diminutive child-prodigy," sang beautifully.

Helen Clare's Music Career

Starting Her Singing Journey

After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, Nelly and her family moved back to Yorkshire. They lived in Shipley, near Bradford. After finishing school, she worked in a raincoat factory. But at night, she sang in clubs. She also performed with her brother Tom Harrison's band in Bradford. She once said, "Unlike their usual singer, I didn't need a megaphone" to be heard.

Nelly started getting bookings in the North of England. In 1934, she auditioned for the BBC and began broadcasting for BBC North. In the mid-1930s, she joined Conri Tait's Orchestra. They performed at the Grand Hotel in Harrogate.

Becoming Helen Clare

By 1936, Nelly started using her stage name, Helen Clare. From then on, she was known by this name. In February 1937, she began broadcasting across Britain. She performed on the BBC National Programme with Jack Jackson's band. Jackson's band was based at the Dorchester Hotel in London. Jackson had noticed her the year before. Helen Clare quickly became a household name. She also took bookings from other radio stations like Radio Normandie and Radio Luxembourg. While at the Dorchester, she became friends with a young Danny Kaye, who was also performing there.

Helen Clare was one of the first female singers to appear on television. She started performing on BBC Television in 1937, when TV was very new. That year, she sang "They Can't Take That Away From Me" by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. This was for a TV show called Cabaret Cartoons.

First Recordings and Fame

On June 22, 1937, Helen made her first recording. It was with Jay Wilbur and his Band for Rex. She sang a duet with Jack Cooper called "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." This song was famous from the movie Shall We Dance, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. She made more recordings and broadcasts with Wilbur's band.

On November 26, 1937, she made her first recording with Jack Jackson and his Orchestra for Decca. She sang "I'm a Little Prairie Flower" with other singers. In December 1937, a music magazine praised Helen Clare. They said she was one of the few dance-band singers with a "real voice." She also recorded three duets with Jack Jackson, a very famous bandleader. She appeared on television with him until 1939.

Wartime and Post-War Performances

When the Second World War began, Helen Clare joined the BBC Variety department. They had moved to Bristol for safety. Helen said it was hard work, but the company was wonderful. She worked with stars like Flanagan and Allen and Tommy Trinder. She regularly performed on BBC Radio. She sang with BBC orchestras and bands led by Carroll Gibbons and Henry Hall.

Bristol was bombed, so the BBC department moved to Bangor in North Wales. In 1941, Helen became a freelance singer. She toured Britain's theatres and gave concerts for soldiers and factory workers. In June 1941, she recorded "Beneath The Lights Of Home." Two years later, she recorded "Say A Pray'r For The Boys Over There" and "Comin' In On A Wing And A Pray'r." These were popular wartime songs.

Helen also worked with bandleader Jack Payne for ENSA. ENSA was a group that entertained troops. She sang songs like "I'll Walk Beside You." She appeared on BBC shows like Music While You Work and Workers' Playtime. On these shows, she sang songs requested by troops and their families. From 1942 to 1944, Helen hosted It's All Yours. On this show, she read messages and sang songs sent in by children. These children had relatives in the Allied forces. The famous singer Petula Clark made her first broadcast on this show when she was nine years old. Helen described her as "this lovely little thing."

In 1944, Helen recorded songs with Harry Leader and his Band for Regal Zonophone. She also performed for the Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service. This service made radio shows for British forces abroad. One of her favorite songs was "All the Things You Are." She often sang it on the BBC. She said, "When I sang I was part of that song, and the songs then spoke of so many sentiments, and they tell a story."

After the war, Helen continued to perform in variety shows and light music. This included operetta, where she sang with orchestras. She continued to broadcast on popular radio shows like Variety Bandbox. In 1957, she appeared on Friday Night Is Music Night with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Later Years and Legacy

Helen Clare continued performing professionally until the 1960s. After a mild heart attack, she gave singing lessons for thirty years. Until she was 90, she was active in the Wallington Operatic Society.

In May 2015, at 98, she was interviewed for Songs of Praise on BBC One. This program marked the 70th anniversary of VE Day. In 2016, at 99, Helen was reunited with Petula Clark on live television. They appeared together on BBC One's The One Show. Helen had worked with Petula during the war. For her 100th birthday, Helen visited the Grosvenor House Hotel. This visit was shown on a BBC One program called Holding Back the Years. She was joined by her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandchildren. Alex Mendham and His Orchestra sang for her.

In 2018, Helen Clare's first album of recordings was released. It was called All The Things You Are. When asked about the secret to a long life, Helen said, "There isn't a secret. You just have to be interested in things, in what's happening in the world. And keep your sense of enjoyment going."

Helen Clare's Personal Life

In 1939, Helen Clare lived in Maida Vale, London. In 1946, she married musician Frederick Riddle in Kensington. He was a very talented viola player. They met at BBC Bristol and were together for over forty years. They had a daughter named Elizabeth, who also had a good singing voice. Frederick Riddle passed away in 1995. Helen received her 100th birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II addressed to her married name, Mrs. Helen Riddle.

Helen lived in Wallington, in Sutton, from 1952 to 1987. Then she moved to the Isle of Wight, where her husband died. In 1995, she returned to live in Carshalton, Sutton. She stayed there until 2011. Helen later moved into sheltered housing in Wallington. She passed away on September 15, 2018, at the age of 101. She is remembered by her daughter, granddaughter, and three great-grandchildren.

See also

• Mary Lee (1921–2022), another British dance band singer from the 1930s