Helen Forrest's hit single "I Had the Craziest Dream."

Helen Forrest was one of the most popular female vocalists during America's Big Band era. She was born Helen Fogel to a Jewish family in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 12, 1917. She first sang with her brother's band at the age of 10, and later began her career singing on CBS radio under the name Bonnie Blue. Image File history File links Helenforrest. ... Image File history File links Helenforrest. ... A big band is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Motto: Nickname: Map of Atlantic City in Atlantic County Founded Incorporated March 1854 County Atlantic County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Bob Levy Area  - Total  - Water 44. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... CBS (formerly an acronym for Columbia Broadcasting System) is a major television network and radio broadcaster in the United States. ...

Forrest achieved fame when bandleader Artie Shaw hired her in 1939. Shaw was looking for new talent since vocalist Billie Holiday had left the band the previous year. Forrest recorded 38 singles with Shaw's band. Two of her biggest hits with Shaw were the songs "They Say" and "All the Things You Are." Artie Shaw Arthur Jacob Arshawsky (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004), better known as Artie Shaw, was an accomplished jazz clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and writer. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Billie Holiday For the Canadian broadcaster, see Billie Holiday (broadcaster). ...

In late 1939 Forrest left Shaw and joined Benny Goodman, with whom she recorded a number of celebrated songs, including the hit song "The Man I Love." She recorded with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton in 1940. In 1941, Forrest was hired by Harry James. It was with the Harry James Orchestra that she recorded what are arguably her most popular numbers, including "I Had the Craziest Dream" and "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." Forrest also dated James until he met the woman he would later marry, Betty Grable. Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was a famous Jazz musician, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Childhood and early years Goodman was born in Chicago, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived on Chicago... Nat King Cole in The Blue Gardenia (1953) Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965) was a hugely popular American singer and jazz musician. ... Lionel Hampton with George W. Bush Lionel Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002), was a bandleader, jazz percussionist and vibraphone virtuoso. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... ... Betty Grable Ruth Elizabeth Betty Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 3, 1973) was an American actress, singer, and pin-up girl whose famous bathing-suit poster was an icon of the World War II era. ...

Because of her involvement with most of the popular bands of the big band era, Forrest was known as "the voice of the name bands."

Forrest left Harry James in late 1943 in pursuit of a solo career. In the late 1940s she sang on Dick Haymes' radio show. After a dip in recording in the 1950s, Forrest sang with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra led by Sam Donahue in the early 1960s. She continued to sing in supper clubs in the 1970s and 1980s. Her final album was released in 1983. 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Dick Haymes (born September 13, 1918 in Buenos Aires - died March 29, 1980 in Los Angeles) was one of the most popular American male vocalists of the 1940s. ... Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905–November 26, 1956) was a jazz trombonist in the Big Band era. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She kept singing until the early 1990s, when arthritis forced her into retirement. Over the course of her career, she recorded more than 500 songs. Forrest also acted in several musical films including "Bathing Beauty" (1944) and "Two Girls and a Sailor" (1944). She was a civil rights activist as well. Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation) is a group of conditions that affect the health of the bone joints in the body. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

Forrest married and divorced three times, and had one son, Michael Forrest Feinman.

Helen Forrest died from congestive heart failure on July 11, 1999 in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 82. Her final resting place is in Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. Congestive heart failure (CHF) (also called congestive cardiac failure and heart failure) is the inability of the heart to pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body, or requiring elevated filling pressures in order to pump effectively. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Woodland Hills is a community within the City of Los Angeles. ... Los Angeles redirects here. ...