Helen Forrest

Born Helen Fogel on 12 April 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, singer Helen Forrest aka Bonnie Blue, led a highly active career, recording more than 500 songs. Helen's father died of influenza when she was an infant. She was an adolescent when her mother moved to Brooklyn with her three elder brothers. She then acquired a house painter for a stepfather with whom she didn't get along, who with her mother transformed their home into a brothel. Upon an altercation with her stepfather, Helen defending herself with a knife from his advances, she moved in with the family of a piano teacher, one Honey Silverman, who thought she was better at singing than the 88. So she dropped out of high school and began to work with her brother's (Ed) band in Atlantic City. She changed her name from Fogel to Forrest as she began to work for radio in New York City at WNEW and WCBS. She then spent a couple years at the Madrillon Club in Washington D.C. where she was discovered by Artie Shaw. Helen first recorded on 27 September 1938 with Shaw: 'You're a Sweet Little Headache' and 'I Have Eyes'. Confirming her presence on the scene with Shaw, she then moved on to Benny Goodman, though not until after her last of numerous sessions with Shaw, that on November 11, 1939, for an NBC radio broadcast from the Cafe Rouge at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York yielding 'Moonray'.

'You're a Sweet Little Headache'   Helen Forrest w Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

27 Sep 1938 in NYC   Matrix 027233-1,2   Bluebird 7889

Trumpet: John Best / Claude Bowen / Chuck Peterson

Trombone: George Arus / Russell Brown / Harry Rogers

Clarinet: Shaw   Alto sax: George Koenig / Hank Freeman (clarinet)

Tenor sax / clarinet: Tony Pastor / Ronnie Perry

Piano: Les Burness   Guitar: Al Avola

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Cliff Leeman

Composition: Leo Robin / Ralph Rainger

'I Have Eyes'   Helen Forrest w Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

27 Sep 1938 in NYC   Matrix  027234-1   Bluebird 7889

Trumpet: John Best / Claude Bowen / Chuck Peterson

Trombone: George Arus / Russell Brown / Harry Rogers

Clarinet: Shaw   Alto sax: George Koenig / Hank Freeman (clarinet)

Tenor sax / clarinet: Tony Pastor / Ronnie Perry

Piano: Les Burness   Guitar: Al Avola

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Cliff Leeman

Composition: Leo Robin / Ralph Rainger

'Moonray'   Helen Forrest w Artie Shaw & His Orchestra

22 June 1939 in Holywood   Matrix 036293-3   Bluebird B-10334

Trumpet: John Best / Bernie Privin / Chuck Peterson

Trombone: George Arus / Les Jenkins / Harry Rogers

Clarinet: Shaw   Alto sax: Les Robinson / Hank Freeman

Tenor sax: Georgie Auld / Tony Pastor

Piano: Bob Kitsis   Guitar: Al Avola

Bass: Sid Weiss   Drums: Buddy Rich

Composition: Arthur Quenzer / Shaw / Paul Madison

Helen's initial session with Goodman arrived on 21 December of 1939 per 'Does Your Heart Beat for Me?'.

'What's the Matter with Me?'   Helen Forrest w Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

22 June 1939 in Hollywood   Matrix 26416-A   Columbia 35374

Trumpet: Ziggy Elman / Jimmy Maxwell / Johnny Martell

Trombone: Red Ballard / Vernon Brown / Ted Vesely

Clarinet: Goodman   Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Buff Estes

Tenor sax: Toots Mondello / Buff Estes

Piano: Johnny Guarnieri   Guitar: Arnold Covey

Bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Nick Fatool

Music: Terry Shand   Lyrics: Sam L. Lewis

'How High the Moon'   Helen Forrest w Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

First recording of 'How High the Moon'

7 Feb 1940 in NYC   Matrix 26491-A   Columbia 35391

Trumpet: Ziggy Elman / Jimmy Maxwell / Irving Goodman

Trombone: Red Ballard / Vernon Brown / Ted Vesely

Clarinet: Goodman   Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Buff Estes

Tenor sax: Jerry Jerome / Bus Bassey

Piano: Johnny Guarnieri   Guitar: Arnold Covey

Bass: Artie Bernstein   Drums: Nick Fatool   Arrangement: Eddie Sauter

Composition: Morgan Lewis / Nancy Hamilton

'When the Sun Comes Out'   Helen Forrest w Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

4 June 1941 in NYC   Matrix 30598-1   Columbia 36209

Trumpet: Billy Butterfield / Cootie Williams / Chris Griffin

Trombone: Lou McGarityn / Cutty Cutshall

Clarinet: Goodman   Alto sax: Les Robinson / Gene Kinsey

Tenor sax: Georgie Auld / Pete Mondello   Baritone sax: Skip Martin

Piano: Johnny Guarnieri   Guitar: Charlie Christian

Bass: Walter Yost   Drums: J.C. Heard   Arrangement: Eddie Sauter

Composition: Morgan Lewis / Nancy Hamilton

Forrest swung with Goodman well into 1941 before joining Harry James' operation the same year. Her debut recordings with James were during a radio broadcast from the Hotel Sherman in Chicago on August 10, yielding 'Perfidia' among others. Forrest recorded with James extensively to as late as the seventies. She had first left James in 1943 to pursue a solo career. Though married thrice it was James, who was an affair, whom she later reminisced she most loved, he also her favorite band leader for whom to work.

'You Made Me Love You'   Helen Forrest w Harry James and His Music Makers

From the Universal film 'Private Buckaroo' directed by Edward F. Cline

April 1942 in Hollywood   Released 12 June 1942   See Joyce 3007

Music: James V. Monaco   Lyrics: Joseph McCarthy

Austin Gisriel   IMDb   Rotten Tomatoes   Wikipedia

'I Had the Craziest Dream'   Helen Forrest w Harry James and His Music Makers

From the 20th Century Fox film 'Springtime in the Rockies' directed by Irving Cummings

June-July 1942 in Hollywood   Released 6 Nov 1942   See Hollywood Soundstage 5013 / Titania 507

Composition: Harry Warren / Mack Gordon

IMDb   Letterboxd   Rotten Tomatoes   Wikipedia

'I've Heard That Song Before'   Helen Forrest w Harry James & His Orchestra

31 July 1942  in Hollywood   Matrix HCO 912-1   Columbia 36668

Music: Jule Styne   Lyrics: Sammy Cahn   1942

Upon securing a Decca recording contract, Helen began to work with Dick Haymes [Discogs],  also appearing on CBS radio from 1944 to 1947 with Haymes.

'Long Ago and Far Away'   Helen Forrest w Dick Haymes

27 Jan 1944   Matrix 71714   Decca 23317

Composition: Jerome Kern / Ira Gershwin

'It Had to Be You'   Helen Forrest w Dick Haymes

28 June 1944 in Los Angeles   Matrix L 3446   Decca 23349

Song Spinner's Choir w the Victor Young Orchestra

Music: Isham Jones   Lyrics: Gus Kahn   1924

'Together'   Helen Forrest w Dick Haymes

28 June 1944 in Los Angeles   Matrix L 3446   Decca 23349

Song Spinner's Choir w the Victor Young Orchestra

Composition: B.G. DeSylva / Lew Brown / Ray Henderson

'I Only Have Eyes For You'   Helen Forrest w the Carmen Dragon Orchestra

World transcription of 11 Nov 1949 in NYC   Matrix N6270-1   See Audiophile AP47 / ACD47

Music: Harry Warren   Lyrics: Al Dubin   1934

'Secret Love'   Helen Forrest w Magic Strings led by Morty Palitz

1954   Bell 1030

Composition: Paul Francis Webster / Sammy Fain

'Out of This World'   Helen Forrest

1956   From the album 'Voice of the Name Bands'   Capitol Records T-704

Composition: Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer

'Just One of Those Things'   Helen Forrest   Television

'Ed Sullivan Show' of 29 Sep 1963

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra possibly led by Sam Donahue

(Donahue ran this orchestra from 1961-66)

1956   From the album 'Voice of the Name Bands'   Capitol RecordsT-704

Composition: Cole Porter for the 1935 musical 'Jubilee'

'Call Me Irresponsible'   Helen Forrest

26 Nov 1970 in Hollywood   Matrix XR1S 9501   Reader's Digest RA-112

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen   Lyrics: Sammy Cahn

Medley   Helen Forrest   Television

18 March 1978   Television special 'Big Band Bash'

Music: Jimmy Van Heusen   Lyrics: Sammy Cahn

IMDb

'I've Heard That Song Before'   Helen Forrest

Jan 1983 in NYC   From the album 'Now and Forever'   Stash ST225

Music: Jule Styne   Lyrics: Sammy Cahn   1942

Medley   Helen Forrest   Television   Venue unknown   1983

Though Helen issued her last album in 1983, 'Now and Forever', she performed into the early nineties until forced to retire by rheumatoid arthritis. She died of heart failure on July 11 of 1999 in Los Angeles.