Helen Cornelius: From Sunlight to Limelight

Helen Cornelius, is just as talented as she is beautiful. She is one of the most talented singers ever to grace a stage anywhere. She holds her
audiences with a haunting, earth-toned, warm personality that makes the stage seem brighter than any spotlight could ever achieve.

Born Helen Lorene Johnson, she is the consummate country girl, who grew up as a native Missourian, won three times on the "Ted Mack
Amateur Hour," won CMA "Country Duo of the Year" twice with Jim Ed Brown and went on to become loved by every life she has touched.
Helen is special. She has an inner peace that is hard for most people to understand. Helen stands on rarified ground, having morals, integrity
and character that is so lacking in today's world.

Here in her own words, is Helen.

Kurt: "Helen, tell me and all your other fans about your early years."

Helen: "I was born in Hannibal, Mo, the next to youngest of 8 children. My father, Joseph Johnson, was a fireman on the old Burlington
Railroad. When I was 6 months old, he was injured and had to take permanent disability being told that he would never walk correctly again.
One leg ended up shorter than the other one. He and my mother Luelsie, moved us to a small farm south of Hannibal, Mo. Daddy did finally
walk, but I can still remember seeing him fall down behind the hand plow he was tilling the garden with, while an old mule was pulling it.
They barely eked out a living for us. We spent our childhood virtually in the trees, picking and eating every kind of wild fruit imaginable. We
did the same in the fields, eating blackberries, wild strawberries, gooseberries--anything that momma could can to get us through the winter,
after all of the garden supplies were gone. I would not trade my childhood for any amount of money. I became so connected to the outdoors, it'
s beauty--the peace one can find while just being aware of the trees, the wildflowers--a wonderful, precious gift from God. I was the tomboy
of the girls. My brothers made a tree house, (nothing but some boards to sit on), in a big old cedar tree in our front yard. When momma would
call us to "supper," as we knew the evening meal to be, she always looked up in that tree, knowing where I would be."

Kurt: "Helen, do you have early memories of music being played in your home."

Helen: "Daddy loved music and he had a great voice. Momma sounded a little more like Edith of the Archie Bunker show, but they took us to
every contest and radio show close to our Missouri home. Judy was 7 and I was 5 and we were hard to beat because no one wants to follow
little kids or animals. So we won most of the talent contests we were in. Sister Sharon then joined with us and for awhile we were the trio,
Johnson Sisters. Judy swears to this day, that when I was 5, we were singing on a local radio show where Hank Williams Sr. was doing an
interview and was the special guest. She says that I was pouting (I know that cannot be true--I would never have pouted!) Anyway, she
remembers him picking me up and sitting me on his knee and whispering something in my ear. She says that I got down, smiled and agreed
then to sing, never ever sharing what he whispered in my ear. Jett Williams, Hank's daughter, is one of my best friends. I tell her that I now
remember what he whispered to me. He said, "I want you to have all of the royalties to Kawliga!!"** I don't think she buys that...Ha! Judy married
and left home when I was 14, so our singing together stopped then."

Kurt: "What happened then?"

Helen: "After graduation from high school, when I was 17 years old, I moved to Hannibal, Mo. where I worked as a secretary for two years. I met
my husband while working at that business and married him when I was 18 years old. We had three children and I was a mother of three by the
time I was 22 years old. I loved that time in my life."

Kurt: "When did your professional life begin to take off?"

Helen: "I started writing songs in the early 70's and was lucky enough to get a recording contract with Columbia Records. The songs that I wrote
and that were recorded by me were a bit premature for where country music was at that time. About a year later, in late 1975, I landed a
recording contract with RCA records. Before they were able to do anything with my career as a single, Chet Atkins found the song, "I Don't
Want To Have To Marry You." Believing it to be a monster hit, they called and asked me to fly down to Nashville the next week, (June of
1976), to record the song with Jim Ed Brown. We actually met in the studio, not knowing if our voices would even blend. The rest is history."

Kurt: "Is that when things really started for you?"

Helen: "Well, three months later, that song was #1 in the nation.. I flew back to Nashville, made my first appearance on the Grand Old Opry,
then recorded the album "I Don't Want To Have to Marry You." From there, I flew to Dallas, Texas to film 13 television shows as a regular on
"Nashville on the Road," with Jim Ed Brown, Jerry Clower and 12 year old Wendy Holcombe. That show continued through 1980, with re-runs
continuing into 1981."

"After embarking on my own career in 1981, I toured with Conway Twitty through 1982. I virtually worked non-stop on the road, being booked as
a guest on virtually every television show that booked country entertainers. I was booked regularly on "Nashville Now" with Ralph Emery."

Kurt: "What would you consider the highpoint of your career?"

Helen: "There are many highpoints in my career. I sang the National Anthem at so many major events, the biggest one was at the Coca Cola
500 race in Atlanta, Ga. before 85,000 race car fans. I presented the winning trophy to Bill Elliot for winning that race. I toured as the lead in
"Annie Get Your Gun," in 1984, with Dave Rowland playing my beau, Frank Butler. That tour lasted four months and then I toured with the
Statler Brothers through 1986."

"I have had such a wonderful career, having worked with almost every entertainer--every state fair and coliseum--meeting fans that have
become like family to me through the years."

"I loved working at my own dinner theater in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It gave me a chance to be so close to the people and I made "forever"
friends during that period in my life. I continued in theater work along with individual touring dates through May of 2003. That's when I
decided to just do dates on the road, taking a break from 6 days a week in a theater."

Kurt: "What are you doing now?"

Helen: "I work at venues by myself and with Jim Ed Brown. I am now in rehearsals for a new musical "Could It Be Love", starring Jeannie Seely
and myself. We are having so much fun and the cast is wonderful. We will be doing the musical next year at various theaters across the country
as well as our regular country shows."

"It seems like my career has been such a whirlwind and gone so fast...but then, doesn't life!!"

Kurt: "Has there been anything lacking in your personal or professional life?"

Helen : "If I could do things over, I most certainly would have had pictures taken with all of my entertainer friends and have me the biggest
scrapbook ever. I regret not having pictures with Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, and on and on. I think we all look back and think "would have, should
have, could have," but then I would not be molded into this person I am today had I made other choices."

Kurt: "Helen Cornelius, when the last curtain has been called, the last guitar strummed and the last song sung, how do you want people to
remember you?"

Helen: "I have been so blessed with friends and fans throughout my life. When it comes time to remember me, I hope they can say that she was
kind, she used her God given talents to bring joy to her brothers and sisters in Christ and she loved the Lord and tried to help people along the
way. So many young people have confided in me through the years. I pray that I have given them the right advice and helped them find their
way through some growing pains, tough times, etc."

"Yes, I have been blessed!"

Kurt: "I would say you really have."

Editor's Note: **Hank Williams and Fred Rose wrote "Kawliga." It was recorded in 1952, and remains as one of Hank's most successful recordings.

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