Ruby Helder

Ruby Helder (March 3, 1890 – November 21, 1938) was a British contralto singer and Broadway performer whose vocal range spanned from C3 to C5. Born Emma Jane Holder in the Easton district of Bristol, she was the daughter of Thomas Holder, a dairyman who later became the landlord of a nearby public house, where the young Helder sang for the regulars. She eventually changed her name to avoid confusion with a classmate after beginning formal music lessons. Her aunt, who served as housekeeper to the music hall star Harry Lauder, arranged for Helder to study at the Guildhall School of Music under Charles Tinney. She subsequently trained with Charles Santley, who described her voice as a "natural, pure tenor voice of great beauty and power."

Helder's recording career began in 1908 with Pathé, and in 1909 she made her operatic debut at the Queen's Hall in London. By 1911 she had signed a recording contract with HMV, and her international reputation grew rapidly enough that by 1913 she is said to have traveled to the United States to perform at a private party hosted by a millionaire. She sang at venues across the United States and between 1916 and 1917 pursued music studies at Grinnell College. Her American engagements also included a tour of the United States and Canada alongside John Philip Sousa and his band.

During this period in the United States, Helder established a presence on Broadway, appearing in productions between 1915 and 1922. Her Broadway credits included The Tidings Brought to Mary and the play Made in America. No recordings of her were made after 1921, marking a period of declining popularity, though she made her English radio debut on the BBC in January 1925.

On July 12, 1920, Helder married American architect and artist Chesley Bonestell, after which the couple toured Italy together. They returned to the United States in 1927 and settled in Berkeley, California, where Helder worked as a music teacher. She retired from singing in 1935 and died on November 21, 1938, at the Highland Hotel in Hollywood, following a prolonged struggle with alcoholism. She was 48 years old. A commemorative plaque honoring her birthplace was unveiled in Bristol by the city's Lord Mayor in June 2001. Her recordings were later compiled and released by Pearl Records in 2003 under the title Girl Tenor.