Remembered for her contributions to the jazz, swing, blues, and R&B music genres, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for her 1981 vocal jazz album Helen. Her earlier recordings include Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do (1959), Swingin' with Humes (1961), and Sneakin' Around (1974). While participating in a 1926 vocal contest, she was discovered by blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver, and she went on to record her first blues album when she was only fourteen years old.
