Helen forrest biography book

American pop singer (1917–1999)

Not to be confused with Helen Forrester.

Musical artist

Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel, April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music.

She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James), thereby earning a reputation as "the voice of the name bands."

Childhood

Forrest was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 12, 1917.

Her parents, Louis and Rebecca Fogel, were Jewish.^[1] Her father died from influenza when Helen was an infant so she was raised by her mother, who often blamed her husband's death on Helen's birth. She believed God had taken her husband because she had wished so much for a baby girl.^[2] Helen had three older brothers: Harry, Ed, and Sam.

In Helen's early teen years, the family relocated to Brooklyn. Her mother married a house painter, whom Helen disliked