Helen Shapiro,whose singles 'Don't Treat Me Like a Child', 'You Don't Know', 'Walking Back to Happiness' and 'Tell Me What He Said' sent her soaring to international stardom at the tender age of fourteen, has been going strong ever since 1961!
Helen is a highly respected jazz singer. As well as singing with her own band, she performed with the likes of Humphrey Lyttelton and his band from 1983 to 2001, and also with the BBC Big Band. Helen has also been in demand as a pantomime principal boy and appeared in many stage musicals. In May 1995 she was the 'gob-smacked' subject of 'This Is Your Life' on BBC TV.
In August 1987 Helen became a committed believer in Jesus. Several months of searching the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, and seeing their fulfilment in the New Testament, culminated in her being opened to the truth of Jesus as Saviour of the world and the promised Messiah of her own Jewish people.
In 1989 Helen held the first of many Gospel Evenings to coincide with the release of her first gospel album 'The Pearl'. This album, along with her second gospel album 'Kadosh'(Holy) proved to be a very big seller. These 'Gospel Outreaches', as they came to be known, allowed Helen to present her challenging story. She would begin by singing a selection of worship songs, aided by live accompaniment. She then followed on to tell about how she came to faith in Jesus. This time of testimony was interspersed with songs (including the ever-popular 'Walking Back to Happiness') sung to backing tracks. The evening concluded with a powerful, personal Gospel challenge.
In 1993, Helen's autobiography entitled 'Walking Back to Happiness' (what else!) was published by Harper Collins and Helen has held outreaches to the USA, South Africa and Russia. Helen's 1995 gospel album entitled 'Nothing But The Best' includes a duet with Cliff Richard and her fourth gospel album, entitled 'Enter Into His Gates' was also a big seller.
Most of the tracks from all four gospel albums have now been put on a double CD entitled 'The Gospel Collection'. Helen's most recent gospel album (released in 2010) is called 'What Wondrous Love Is This' and was her first gospel release in 12 years!
Until recently, Helen devoted herself solely to her Gospel Outreaches, having come out of showbusiness at the end of 2002, after 42 years of touring. Currently, she ministers as part of the Messianic trio called HEBRON. Helen is married to actor John Judd and they live in Greater London.