Helen Francesca Traubel (June 16, 1899 – July 28, 1972) was an American opera and concert singer. A dramatic soprano, she was best known for her Wagnerian roles, especially those of Brünnhilde and Isolde. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, she began her career as a concert singer and went on to sing at the Metropolitan Opera from 1937 to 1953. Starting in the 1950s, she also developed a career as a nightclub and cabaret singer as well as appearing in television, films and musical theatre. Traubel spent her later years in Santa Monica, California, where she died at the age of 73.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6422 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
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Was part-owner of one of the most singularly hapless teams in baseball history, the St. Louis Browns. A fan of the team since childhood, she frequently turned out to support them in person, in spite of the dangers to her voice.
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Kirsten Flagstad and Marjorie Lawrence of the Met were her Wagnerian competition and she didn't get her deserved attention until they left the company.
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Appeared at New York's Copacabana Club, the Chez Paree in Chicago, The Sahara hotel in Las Vegas and the Clover Club in Miami. She also appeared on TV where she made a great foil for the likes of Groucho Marx, Red Skelton and Jerry Lewis.
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Appeared 176 times on the Met stage (168 times in Wagner operas).
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She was forced off the Met stage by the newly-appointed General Manager Rudolf Bing and left in 1953 when Bing refused to allow her to perform in nightclubs.
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Voted Woman of the Year in Music twice by the Associated Press.
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In 1959 she wrote her autobiography, St. Louis Woman, with Richard Hubler.
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Her novels included The Ptomaine Canary (1959), and The Metropolitan Opera Murders (1951).
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Gunn
1967
Mother
Valentine's Day
1964-1965
TV Series
Muriel
The Ladies Man
1961
Miss Helen N. Wellenmellon
The Bell Telephone Hour
1960
TV Series
Katisha
Deep in My Heart
1954
Anna Mueller
The Red Skelton Hour
1954
TV Series
Queen Isabella
All Star Revue
1951
TV Series
Guest Opera Soprano
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Deep in My Heart
1954
performer: "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise", "When I Grow Too Old to Dream", "Leg of Mutton", "Auf Wiedersehn", "You Will Remember Vienna", "Stouthearted Men"
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom
1958
TV Series
Herself
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
1957
TV Series
Herself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1956
TV Series
Herself
The Red Skelton Hour
1955
TV Series
Herself / Award for Most Promising Newcomer
The Jimmy Durante Show
1954
TV Series
Herself
Red Skelton Revue
1954
TV Series
Herself - Singer
What's My Line?
1954
TV Series
Herself - Mystery Guest
Person to Person
1954
TV Series documentary
Herself - Opera Soprano
All Star Revue
1950-1953
TV Series
Herself - Guest Opera Soprano / Herself - Guest Opera Singer / Himself - Guest Opera Soprano
The Voice of Firestone
1949-1950
TV Series
Herself
The Jack Paar Program
1963
TV Series
Herself
I've Got a Secret
1962
TV Series
Herself
Here's Hollywood
1961
TV Series
Herself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1959
TV Series
Herself
The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show
1959
TV Series
Herself
The Garry Moore Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
The Milton Berle Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
The George Gobel Show
1958
TV Series
Herself
Known for movies
The Ladies Man (1961) as Miss Helen N. Wellenmellon
$250,000
