Helen O'Connell

From a career spanning many years, Helen O'Connell stands out chiefly for the distinctive vocal flourishes she delivered on “Green Eyes” and for her long association with Jimmy Dorsey. She left her hometown of Toledo to join Jimmy Richards’ nine-piece group, remaining with them for eighteen months of steady club work and travel. A regular radio slot in St. Louis occupied her until she accepted an offer to tour with Larry Funk’s outfit, billed as the “Band of a Thousand Melodies.” Once that band reached New York engagements, Jimmy Dorsey discovered her and signed her in 1938. Early successes followed with a hit treatment of “All of Me” and well-received recordings of “Embraceable You,” “Brazil,” “Jim,” and “When the Sun Comes Out,” which she introduced. Her profile rose sharply in December 1940 when she began alternating sides with ballad singer Bob Eberly. On those dates Eberly usually sang the opening chorus at a measured tempo, Dorsey inserted a brief instrumental passage, and O'Connell closed each performance with a brisk, swinging final chorus. The formula produced popular versions of “Amapola,” “Yours,” “Green Eyes,” and “Tangerine.” She appeared with Dorsey in the 1943 film I Dood It, performing “Star Eyes,” then retired to marry and eventually raised four daughters. A solo career began in 1950 and encompassed occasional recordings, frequent television appearances that included a period as co-host of The Today Show, tours with Four Girls Four alongside Kay Starr, Rosemary Clooney, and Rose Marie, and guest spots with the Jimmy Dorsey ghost band, all delivered in her unaltered style. Though her vocal resources were modest, she converted those limits into strengths and secured a lasting niche in popular music. She continued working until shortly before her death from cancer.