Helen Grayco

Helen Grayco (; September 20, 1924 – August 20, 2022) was an American singer and actress active from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was most famous for appearances with her husband Spike Jones on The Spike Jones Show in the 1950s and the 1960s. She is also the mother of the producer and Emmy recipient Spike Jones, Jr. and the Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Leslie Ann Jones.

Early life Grayco was born Helen Greco on September 20, 1924, in Tacoma, Washington, the second youngest of 11 children born to Charles Battiste Greco and his wife, Rosina. She had five brothers; John, Ralph, George, Anthony, and James, and five sisters; Mary, Carmella, Katherina, Theresa and Elizabeth. The siblings were raised in the Roman Catholic faith of their parents, Mr. Greco owned a grocery store which went bankrupt during the Great Depression.

Career At age 4, Grayco began singing in Tacoma. heard her on the program, and reportedly Crosby said that "...she sings Hollywood!" Crosby gave her a job in Hollywood and soon her family moved to Los Angeles. She earned a salary of $75 a week.

With Spike Jones

Grayco first met the bandleader Spike Jones in 1946 while she was performing at the Hollywood Palladium. After her performance he offered her a gig with his band, the City Slickers.

In a 2009 interview, Grayco had this to say about her first meeting with Spike Jones:

He asked to see me after the show and offered me a job. He was already established. A huge star. He was going on tour. I was in direct contrast to what he did. I was terribly insulted when Spike first asked to hire me. He had just done "Cocktails for Two" and all that stuff that he was known for. "I don't know where I could possibly fit in in your group. I'm not a comedienne," I told him. He said, "No, you'll do your own thing. You'll have your arrangements. You'll do 15, 20 minutes entirely separate from the show." They needed something to calm people down. And that's how we always worked from then on.

Solo artist Grayco released her first single in 1949. Her two most memorable albums were After Midnight in 1957 and The Lady in Red in 1958. The latter was the last album she ever released.

Later career Grayco continued to sing in various venues for about the next ten years. Her last public appearance was in 1968 on an episode of The Dean Martin Show.

In 1961, Grayco was the spokesperson for Kahlúa coffee liqueur. Her activities included a 13-week tour promoting the product.

After a period of retirement, Grayco briefly resumed recording for United Artists Records in 1976. Her first single for the label was "If That's How Nature Made Him". The song received attention from Billboard editors who deemed it one of the first pop songs with a theme of homosexuality, as it is about a woman who falls in love with a gay man.

Personal life and death Grayco married Spike Jones on July 18, 1949, They had three children: producer Spike Jones Jr., Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Leslie Ann Jones, and Gina Jones.

Filmography Film A Night at the Opera (Little girl at the piano; uncredited role) (1935) That Certain Age (Girl) (1938) Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! (Performer: "Lilly's Lament (to Cell 29)") (1956)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1951 The Colgate Comedy Hour Herself Episode: "The Spike Jones Show" Original air date: November 2, 1951 1952 Four Star Revue Guest Vocalist 1 episode 1954 The Spike Jones Show Herself/Various roles 18 episodes 1955 The Red Skelton Show Mrs. Spike Jones 1 episode 1957 The Spike Jones Show Herself 20 episodes 1958 Club Oasis Singer 3 episodes The Frank Sinatra Show Herself Episode: "Spike Jones and Helen Grayco" Original air date: April 4, 1958 1960 Swinging Spiketaculars Herself 2 episodes Person to Person Herself 1 episode 1961 The Spike Jones Show Herself 9 episodes 1968 The Dean Martin Show Herself 1 episode The Pat Boone Show Herself 1 episode