Helen Shapiro
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Helen Shapiro | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Helen Kate Shapiro |
Born | Bethnal Green, London, England | 28 September 1946
Genres | Pop, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
Years active | 1961–present |
Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is a British pop and jazz singer and actress.[1] While still a teenager in the early 1960s, she was one of Britain's most successful female singers. With a voice described by AllMusic as possessing "the maturity and sensibilities of someone far beyond their teen years", Shapiro recorded two 1961 UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness", when she was just 14 years old.[2]
Shapiro first achieved prominence in 1961 when her debut single, "
Early life
Shapiro was born at Bethnal Green Hospital in the
Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiro's parents encouraged music in their home (she had to borrow a neighbour's player to hear her first single). Shapiro played
At the age of 10, Shapiro was a singer with Susie and the Hula Hoops (together with her cousin, 1960s singer Susan Singer), a school band that included Marc Bolan (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist. At 13, she started singing lessons at the Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing,[3] based in London's Baker Street, after the school produced singing star Alma Cogan. "I had always wanted to be a singer. I had no desire to slavishly follow Alma's style, but chose the school merely because of Alma's success", she said in a 1962 interview.[9] Burman's connections included John Schroeder, a young songwriter man at EMI's Columbia Records, who recorded a demonstration tape of Shapiro singing "Birth of the Blues", and motivated by her singing, signed her to the label.[3][8]
Early career
In February 1961, at 14, Shapiro released her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child". The song was recorded at EMI Recording Studios, Abbey Road with a nine-piece band under the direction of Martin Slavin.[3] After Helen's appearance on the ITV music programme Thank Your Lucky Stars, the record took off and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart in May 1961.[10] According to AllMusic, Shapiro's rich, mature voice made her "an extraordinary new phenomenon on the British pop scene."[2][3][11] Her next single, the ballad "You Don't Know", topped the chart in August.[3][12] The follow-up, "Walkin' Back to Happiness", was written by John Schroeder and Mike Hawker and featured backing orchestrations by Norrie Paramor. The single quickly reached the top of the chart with far greater sales than her last[2] in October 1961, by which time Shapiro had turned 15.[3][13] She had initially been reluctant to record the song, as she considered it old-fashioned and corny.[2] Both of Shapiro's number-one singles sold over a million copies, earning her two gold discs.[3] Her mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK.[5]
Shapiro's next single release, "
On 31 December 1969, Shapiro appeared in the
By the time she was in her late teens, Shapiro's career as a pop singer was on the wane. With the new wave of beat music and newer female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw, and Lulu, Shapiro appeared old-fashioned and emblematic of the pre-Beatles era of the 1950s.[1] As her pop career declined, Shapiro turned to cabaret appearances, touring the workingmen's clubs of the north-east of England. Her final cabaret show took place at Peterlee's Senate Club on 6 May 1972, where she announced she was giving up touring, as she was "travel-weary" and had had enough of "living out of a suitcase".[21] Later, after a change of mind, she branched out as a performer in musical theatre and jazz, one of her musical interests.
Later career
Shapiro played the role of Nancy in Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! in London's West End[3] and appeared in a British television soap opera, Albion Market, where she played one of the main characters until it was taken off air in August 1986. Shapiro also played the part of Sally Bowles in Cabaret and starred in Seesaw to great critical acclaim.[3]
Between 1984 and 2001, she toured extensively with British jazz
Her autobiography, published in 1993, is titled Walking Back to Happiness. She appeared in August 2012 as a guest on BBC Radio 4's The Reunion in a programme about "60s Girl Singers".[22] In March 2013 she appeared on BBC Radio 3's Good Morning Sunday.
Since 2015, she has played in a trio called Hebron with Chrissy Rodgers and Simon Elman. They are promoted via Shapiro's ministry umbrella, Manna Music.[23]
Personal life
In 1982, Shapiro met John Judd (real name John Williams), an actor with numerous roles in British television and cinema.[24][25] They were married on 31 August 1988.[citation needed]
According to the writer John Mortimer she was briefly married to Duncan Weldon (source book “The Summer of a Dormouse”). Confirmed by checking freeBMD - December quarter 1987
In 1987, she became a
Discography
In popular culture
In the "Rock Notes" sketch on Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album, Eric Idle jokingly refers to "Helen Shapiro" as the last of many names with which a particular rock band reinvents itself after every break-up: "That last name, their favourite, had to be dropped following an injunction, and they split up again."[28]
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of British Jewish entertainers
- List of Columbia Graphophone Company artists
- List of people from the London Borough of Hackney
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ a b c d Eder, Bruce. "Helen Shapiro". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Dowse, Tony (2011). The Ultimate Helen Shapiro. EMI Gold.
- ^ "Ringo Starr will keep on drumming, but forget about a memoir: 'I'm not doing a book'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ London Borough of Hackney, Hackney Today, issue 39, 22 April 2002.
- ^ "Helen Shapiro: A Personal Story – V&A Museum of Childhood". Archived from the original on 13 June 2009.
- ^ a b "HELEN SHAPIRO". Electricearl.com.
- ^ Sunderland Echo, 6 June 1962, Interview with Shapiro, p. 7
- ^ "Helen Shapiro". Official Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Billboard Magazine, July 1961. 3 July 1961. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World, August 1961. 7 August 1961. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World, November 1961. 6 November 1961. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World, March 1962. 31 March 1962. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Billboard Magazine, Hits of the World, August 1962. 25 August 1962. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ T.V.com. "Ready Steady Go!: October 4, 1963: The Beatles (1st RSG! appearance), Helen Shapiro, Dusty Springfield". TV.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Jones, Peter (8 February 1964). "Why I Made 'FEVER'" (PDF). Record Mirror (152): 3. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Helen Shapiro - Fever". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "Film & TV Database | POP GO THE SIXTIES! (1969)". BFI. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Sunderland Echo, p. 22, 4 May 1972.
- ^ "60s Girl Singers, The Reunion, BBC Radio". bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Manna Music website". Mannamusic.co.uk.
- ^ "John Judd". BFI. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ Williams, John (2011). The Ultimate Helen Shapiro. Parlophone. Inner notes in booklet.
- ^ "Helen Shapiro read the Bible and knew Jesus is the Jewish Messiah", JewishTestimonies.com, Retrieved 18 April 2018
- ^ "Helen Shapiro". Manna Music. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "17/18 - Rock Notes/Muddy Knees (Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album Subtitulado Español)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.