Helen Clare

Helen Clare (born Nelly Harrison; 29 November 1916 – 15 September 2018) was a British singer who was well known in the 1930s and 1940s through her work in variety, radio, television and recording. Clare worked extensively in light entertainment, appearing on BBC Radio and recording with British dance bands. She was one of the last surviving professional singers who had been active in the 1930s.

Early life Nelly Harrison was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 29 November 1916, during the First World War, and had an older brother, Tom. Aged four, she moved to Australia with her family, who settled in Burswood, a suburb of Perth.

Harrison's voice brought her to the attention of the critics and audiences, with Melba remarking, "this voice must be preserved and not be used for years to come". A 1926 Sydney Opera House production of Aladdin was reviewed by The Sydney Morning Herald, in which it was noted that Harrison won applause from the audience. Harrison, "a diminutive child-prodigy, sang fluently and correctly, with shades and roulades, all in a tiny voice, the valse-air from Edward German's comic opera Tom Jones", the review added.

Career

Early success Following the Wall Street crash in 1929, and the subsequent Great Depression, Harrison and her family returned to Yorkshire, living in Shipley, outside Bradford. After leaving school, she worked as a costing clerk in a raincoat factory, but sang in clubs during the evenings. She also appeared with her brother Tom Harrison's band in Bradford. "Unlike their usual singer, I didn't need a megaphone", she said. In February 1937, she began broadcasting throughout Britain on the BBC National Programme with Jack Jackson's band, who were resident at the Dorchester Hotel in London. Jackson had spotted her the previous year, and Clare became a household name, taking bookings from the Radio Normandie, Lyon and Luxembourg stations. She made several more recordings with Wilbur's band, and also broadcast with him. In addition, she appeared on television with him until 1939.

In early 1944, she recorded vocals at three sessions with Harry Leader and his Band for Regal Zonophone, who were based at the Astoria Ballroom in London. In addition to ENSA, Clare also performed for the Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service, which made radio programmes for British forces stationed abroad. One of her favourite songs was Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are", which she often sang on the BBC, notably with the Allied Expeditionary Force band in April 1945. Commenting on this, she said, "When I sang I was part of that song, and the songs then spoke of so many sentiments, and they tell a story". In 2016, at the age of 99, Clare was reunited on live television with Petula Clark, whom she had worked with during the war on BBC Radio's It's All Yours. They appeared together on BBC One's The One Show. Clare was taken to the Grosvenor House Hotel for a celebration of her 100th birthday, in a visit featured on Holding Back the Years, a BBC One programme hosted by Ainsley Harriott. Joined by her daughter, granddaughter and great-grandchildren, she was serenaded by Alex Mendham and His Orchestra.

In 2018, the first album of Clare's recordings was released, All The Things You Are. She married musician Frederick Riddle in Kensington in 1946, who was later awarded an OBE, and described as "one of the most eminent viola players of his time". The couple had met at BBC Bristol whilst he was in the BBC Salon Orchestra, and were together for over forty years. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was said to have inherited her mother's vocal talents. Riddle died in 1995; Clare received her 100th birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II addressed to her married name, Mrs Helen Riddle.

Clare lived in Wallington, in Sutton, south London from 1952 to 1987, when she moved to the Isle of Wight, where her husband died. She returned to live in Carshalton, Sutton, in 1995, where she remained until 2011. Clare later moved into sheltered accommodation in Wallington, and died on 15 September 2018, aged 101. She was survived by her daughter, granddaughter and three great-grandchildren.