Lyrics | Artists | Helen Humes

Helen Humes

From the age of 5, Helen Humes took her first piano and singing lessons. Later, endowed with a powerful voice, she gradually established herself in local bands and met a producer who offered her a recording session with pianist James P. Johnson. This first recording experience was a success, but her singing career had to wait, as her mother wanted her to finish her studies. So she had to wait until the end of the '30s for a second chance. Count Basie discovered her in a Cincinnati club, where she was singing with Al Sears, and offered her the chance to succeed Billie Holiday in h...