Johnny Helms
| Johnny Helms | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Newton Helms |
| Born |
February 10, 1935 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 2015 (aged 80) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, swing, bebop, hard bop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, band leader, jazz festival organizer |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1950s – 2000s |
| Associated acts | Clark Terry, Chris Potter, Terry Rosen, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bill Watrous |
John Newton "Johnny" Helms (February 10, 1935 – March 27, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, and music educator from Columbia, South Carolina. He performed with Chris Potter, Tommy Newsom, Bill Watrous, Red Rodney, Woody Herman, Sam Most, and the Clark Terry Big Band among others. In 1989, he was featured along with Terry and Oscar Peterson as part of Clark Terry and Friends at Town Hall during the JVC Jazz Festival.
Helms displayed a talent for music at a young age and was invited to perform with the University of South Carolina Band while in the ninth grade at Columbia High School. An early stylistic influence was trumpeter Chet Baker, but as his style matured, Helms became a devotee of the great jazz trumpet player Clifford Brown and easily mastered the hard bop style and phrasing that was part of Brown's legacy.
Helms was an avid supporter of jazz saxophonist Chris Potter who had the opportunity to learn his craft while performing with Helms.
Helms earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1973 from the University of South Carolina and taught music in the public schools for many years.
Helms was a founding organizer in 1986 (with Veron Melonas), and musical director of the Main Street Jazz Festival in Columbia, South Carolina. Beginning with the summer of 1987, The Jazz Foundation, Inc., a South Carolina non-profit organization founded in 1987, of which Helms was the registered agent, became one of the sponsors of the festival. The foundation's mission was to promote the city of Columbia and to celebrate a uniquely American art form. Other sponsors included the Columbia Action Council (a South Carolina non-profit organization) and The Elite Epicurean Restaurant of Columbia, then owned by Veron S. Melonas (1933–2001). In 1989, the festival featured Tommy Newsom, Red Rodney, Urbie Green, Bill Watrous, Jimmy Heath, Chris Potter, Bill Crow, Andy Simpkins, Harold Jones, Ed Soph, Johnny Frigo, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Ross Tompkins, and Derek Smith, among others. Video highlights of the performances were produced by South Carolina Educational Television.
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