Helen O'Connell

Helen O'Connell

Helen O'Connell was an American singer, actress, and hostess, described as "the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s." O'Connell launched her career as a big-band singer with Larry Funk and his Band of a Thousand Melodies. She was singing with Funk's band in Greenwich Village when Jimmy Dorsey's manager discovered her. O'Connell joined the Dorsey band in 1939 and achieved her best selling records in the early 1940s with "Green Eyes", "Amapola," "Tangerine" and "Yours." In each of these Latin-influenced numbers, Bob Eberly crooned the song which Helen then reprised in an up-tempo arrangement. O'Connell was selected by Down Beat readers as best female singer in 1940 and 1941 and won the 1940 Metronome magazine poll for best female vocalist. In a 1993 obituary article, the Associated Press described O'Connell as "the darling of GIs during World War II." O'Connell retired from show business upon her first marriage in 1943. When her marriage ended in 1951, she resumed her career, achieving some chart success and making regular appearances on television. In 1953, O'Connell and Bob Eberly headlined TV's Top Tunes, a summer replacement program for Perry Como's CBS television show. The program also featured Ray Anthony and his orchestra. In March 1955 O'Connell visited Australia as a support act on the landmark tour headlined by singer Johnnie Ray, which set a new box office record for Australia that stood until the 1964 visit by The Beatles (and during which local media also reported that O'Connell was romantically linked with Ray). O'Connell also was the featured singer on The Russ Morgan Show on CBS TV in 1956. In 1957, she had her own 15-minute program, The Helen O'Connell Show, twice a week on NBC. Helen was one of the first "girls" on NBC's The Today Show, commenting at the time, "I wasn't hired as a singer, I was hired as a talker, a pleasant switch." She had that role from 1956 to 1958. In 1961, Helen co-hosted the Desilu-NBC program, Here's Hollywood, conducting interviews with celebrities, often in their own homes. O'Connell co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants with Bob Barker from 1972 to 1980 and was nominated for an Emmy award in 1976 for her coverage of the Miss Universe pageant. O'Connell sang duets with Bing Crosby, Johnny Mercer, and Dean Martin. She also sang the National Anthem for Super Bowl XV in 1981. O'Connell's 1942 recording of Brazil with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra was a 2009 addition to the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1992, Helen was featured along with The Andrews Sisters and Kay Starr in the KCET special, "Those Fabulous 40s".[citation needed] Her final performance was at the Valley Forge Music Festival in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on August 14, 1993.

  • Title: Helen O'Connell
  • Popularity: 2.138
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1920-05-23
  • Place of Birth: Lima, Ohio, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Helen O'Connell Movies

  • 1943
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    Man That's Groovy

    Man That's Groovy

    1 1943 HD

    Performed by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Helen O'Connell

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  • 1943
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    I Dood It

    I Dood It

    4 1943 HD

    Constance Shaw, a Broadway dance star, and Joseph Rivington Reynolds, a keen fan of hers, marry after she breaks up with her fiancé. Connie...

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  • 1942
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    The Fleet's In

    The Fleet's In

    7 1942 HD

    Shy sailor Casey Kirby suddenly becomes known as a sea wolf when his picture is taken with a famous actress. Things get complicated when bets are...

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  • 1943
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    Au Reet

    Au Reet

    5.5 1943 HD

    Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra perform "Au Reet"

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  • 1956
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    Saturday Spectacular: Manhattan Tower

    Saturday Spectacular: Manhattan Tower

    1 1956 HD

    Gordon Jenkins' record album "Manhattan Tower" was a best seller for 12 years and this spectacular is based on it, with book, music and lyrics by...

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  • 1950
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    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    7 1950 HD

    The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many...

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  • 1964
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    The Hollywood Palace

    The Hollywood Palace

    4.5 1964 HD

    The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970....

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  • 1960
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    Here's Hollywood

    Here's Hollywood

    4 1960 HD

    Here's Hollywood is an American celebrity interview program which aired on weekday afternoons on NBC at 4:30 Eastern time from September 26, 1960, to...

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  • 1957
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    Tonight Starring Jack Paar

    Tonight Starring Jack Paar

    6.5 1957 HD

    Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired...

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  • 1959
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    Startime

    Startime

    6 1959 HD

    Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American television shows broadcast in color. The program was...

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  • 1954
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    The George Gobel Show

    The George Gobel Show

    7 1954 HD

    The George Gobel Show is an American television series hosted George Gobel that aired on NBC from 1954 to 1960.

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  • 1955
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    Miss Universe

    Miss Universe

    6 1955 HD

    Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by the United States-based Miss Universe Organization. The contest is the largest...

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  • 1962
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    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    7.4 1962 HD

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally...

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  • 1963
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    Miss USA

    Miss USA

    6 1963 HD

    The Miss USA Pageant is a beauty contest that has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The...

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