Helms was born in Helmsburg, Indiana, the son of Hildreth Esther (Abram) and Fred Robert Helms. His family was musical. Helms began performing as a duo with his brother, Freddie, before going on to a successful solo career in country music. In 1956, Helms made his way to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed a recording contract with Decca Records. The following year was filled with successes. His first single in 1957, titled "Fraulein", went to No. 1 on the country music chart and made it into the Top 40 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart. Later that same year, he released "My Special Angel", which also hit No. 1 on the country charts and entered the Top 10 on Billboard's pop music chart, peaking at No. 7.
Robert Lee Helms (August 15, 1933 – June 19, 1997) was an American country music singer, best known for his 1957 Christmas hit "Jingle Bell Rock". His other hits include "Fraulein" and "My Special Angel".
Another record by Helms was "Schoolboy Crush", which was a hit in the UK. It was released in the United States on June 23, 1958 on Decca. The same song was then covered by UK teen star Cliff Richard about the same time as the UK release.