Helen Cornelius
Helen Cornelius (* 6. December 1941 as Helen Lorene Johnson in Monroe City , Missouri ) is an American country music singer who was successful in the 1970s with her duet partner Jim Ed Brown.
Beginnings
Helen Cornelius comes from a large, music-loving family. Her brothers played in country bands, and she formed a vocal trio with two sisters. After winning talent competitions, she put her own band together, the Crossroads . Before her career really took off, she married and took a job as a secretary. Since appearances were no longer possible, she began to write songs.
In 1970 she was hired by a music publisher. Her songs have been recorded by several greats in country music, including Barbara Fairchild and Connie Smith . In 1973 she received a record deal from the Columbia label. After releasing a few less successful singles, she moved to RCA in 1973. Her first singles appeared in 1975, but here too there were no successes. Eventually she brought her producer, Bob Fergusson, together with Jim Ed Brown , who had previously recorded several top hits as a member of The Browns , but was still waiting for the big break as a soloist.
Career
The first single by the new duo, I Don't Want to Have To Marry You , reached number one on the country charts in 1976. The second single, Saying Hello, Saying I Love You , made a respectable number three. Remarkably, her intermittent solo recordings were far less successful. In the same year she appeared for the first time in the Grand Ole Opry and in various television shows. In 1977 they were named "Singing Duo of the Year" by the Country Music Association CMA. Her singles initially only reached middle chart positions. It was not until 1978 that top 20 placements could be booked again.
In 1981 Helen Cornelius ended her collaboration with Jim Ed Brown in order to realize her own ideas as a soloist. Again there was no success. In 1984 she briefly changed the genre. She played " Annie Oakley " in the musical Annie Get Your Gun . A year later she released her first own album, which contained several self-composed tracks. In 1988 she went on a reunion tour with Jim Ed Brown.
Discography
Studio albums
- 1975: Helen Cornelius
- 1985: Helen Cornelius
Collaborations with Jim Ed Brown
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 Country
|
|||
| 1976 | I don't want to have to marry you |
Country6 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| 1977 | Born Believer |
Country17 (15 weeks) Country |
|
| 1978 | I'll never be free |
Country29 (8 weeks) Country |
|
| 1979 | You Don't Bring Me Flowers |
Country20 (19 weeks) Country |
|
| 1980 | One man, one woman |
Country35 (16 weeks) Country |
More collab albums
- 2007: Together Again
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Country
|
|||
| 1981 | Greatest hits |
Country47 (10 weeks) Country |
with Jim Ed Brown
|
Solo singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Country
|
|||
| 1976 | There's Always A Goodbye I Don't Want to Have to Marry You |
Country91 (3 weeks) Country |
|
| 1978 | What Cha Doin 'After Midnight, baby |
Country30 (8 weeks) Country |
|
| 1979 | It started with a smile |
Country68 (5 weeks) Country |
|
| 1982 | Love Never Comes Easy |
Country42 (10 weeks) Country |
|
| 1983 | If Your Heart's A Rollin 'Stone |
Country70 (6 weeks) Country |
Collaboration singles with Jim Ed Brown
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Country
|
|||
| 1976 | I Don't Want to Have to Marry You, I Don't Want to Have to Marry You |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
| Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye I Don't Want to Have to Marry You |
Country2 (17 weeks) Country |
||
| 1977 | Born Believer Born Believer |
Country12 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| If It Ain't Love by Now Born Believer |
Country12 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| Fall Softly Snow |
Country91 (3 weeks) Country |
||
| 1978 | I'll Never Be Free I'll Never Be Free |
Country11 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight You Don't Bring Me Flowers |
Country6 (15 weeks) Country |
||
| You Don't Bring Me Flowers You Don't Bring Me Flowers |
Country10 (14 weeks) Country |
||
| 1979 | Lying in Love with You You Don't Bring Me Flowers |
Country2 (13 weeks) Country |
|
| Fools One Man, One Woman |
Country3 (13 weeks) Country |
||
| 1980 | Morning Comes Too Early One Man, One Woman |
Country5 (14 weeks) Country |
|
| The Bedroom One Man, One Woman |
Country24 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1981 | Don't Bother to Knock Greatest Hits |
Country13 (14 weeks) Country |
Web links
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cornelius, Helen |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Johnson, Helen Lorene (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 6, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Monroe City , Missouri |