Johnny Helms facts for kids

Johnny Helms was a super talented American jazz musician. He played the trumpet, led bands, and taught music. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1935 and passed away in 2015.

Johnny played with many famous jazz artists like Chris Potter and Clark Terry. He even performed at big events like the JVC Jazz Festival! In 1989, he was a special guest with Clark Terry and Oscar Peterson at a show called Clark Terry and Friends at Town Hall.

Early Music Days

Johnny Helms showed a gift for music when he was very young. When he was in ninth grade at Columbia High School, he was invited to play with the University of South Carolina Band.

At first, he was inspired by trumpeter Chet Baker. But as he grew as a musician, Johnny really looked up to the amazing jazz trumpet player Clifford Brown. Johnny became very good at the "hard bop" style, which was a big part of Brown's music.

Johnny was also a big supporter of jazz saxophonist Chris Potter. Chris got to learn a lot and improve his skills by playing with Johnny.

Learning and Teaching

Johnny Helms went to the University of South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1973. After that, he taught music in public schools for many years, sharing his love for music with students.

Jazz Festival Fun

Johnny Helms helped start the Main Street Jazz Festival in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. He was also the music director for the festival.

A group called The Jazz Foundation, Inc. helped sponsor the festival starting in 1987. Johnny was a key person in this foundation. Their goal was to show off the city of Columbia and celebrate jazz, which is a special American art form.

Many famous musicians played at the festival in 1989. These included Tommy Newsom, Red Rodney, Bill Watrous, and Chris Potter. South Carolina Educational Television even made videos of the performances!

Spoleto Festival USA

In 1977, Johnny Helms was a special guest soloist at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina. He played with the One O'Clock Lab Band, Phil Woods, Louie Bellson, and Urbie Green.

This was a big deal because it was the first time the Spoleto festival was held in America. The festival started in Italy in 1958, but jazz had never been played there before. Since it came to the US in 1977, jazz has been a very important part of the festival. It has become the largest performing arts festival in the Americas!

A recording of Johnny's performance was played on the National Public Radio program Jazz Alive in 1978.

Music Johnny Recorded

Johnny Helms recorded several albums and performances. Here are some of them:

• Perdido: The Columbia Museum of Art
  • This was recorded in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1974.
  • Johnny played trumpet, along with Clark Terry on trumpet and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar.

• Jazz at Spoleto '77
  • This was recorded live at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1977.
  • Johnny played trumpet on the song "Joy Spring," which was written by Clifford Brown.
  • The University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band played, directed by Leon Breeden.
  • Other musicians featured were Urbie Green, Phil Woods, and Louie Bellson.

• The Columbia Jazz Trio Plus Two
  • This was a 1987 SCETV production.
  • Johnny played trumpet, with Terry Rosen on guitar, Chris Potter on alto sax, Frank Duvall on bass, and Ted Linder on drums.

• The Columbia Jazz Quintet Live at Pug's
  • This was recorded in 1988.
  • Johnny played trumpet, with Terry Rosen on guitar, Chris Potter on alto sax, Frank Duvall on bass, and Ted Linder on drums.
  • It was first recorded for SCETV Radio and later released on cassette and CD.