Helen O'Connell

Helen O'Connell was an American singer, actress, and television host born on 23 May 1920 in Lima, Ohio. She began her professional career performing duets with her sister, Alice, before joining the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in 1939. O'Connell became the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s, achieving Number 1 hits with “Amapola”, “Green Eyes”, and “Tangerine”. She was voted best female singer by DownBeat readers in 1940 and 1941. O'Connell retired from show business in 1943 but resumed her career in 1951, recording duets with Bing Crosby and Dean Martin. Beyond her music, she served as a pioneer on NBC's The Today Show from 1956 to 1958 and co-hosted the Miss Universe pageant for nine years. Between 1977 and 1989, she toured extensively with the vocal quartet 4 Girls 4. Her 1942 recording of “Brazil” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. O'Connell died of cancer in San Diego on 9 September 1993.

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