Gospel Artist

Helen Baylor

Helen Baylor is a gospel singer-songwriter and ordained minister who turned from a successful secular music career to become a prominent figure in contempo...

Songs: 69
Albums: 11

About Helen Baylor

Helen Baylor is a gospel singer-songwriter and ordained minister who turned from a successful secular music career to become a prominent figure in contemporary gospel music. Born Helen LaRue Lowe on January 8, 1954, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she began performing as a child in the nightclub circuit, earning the nickname "Little Helen." Her early professional work included performing in the Broadway musical Hair and serving as a session musician for artists such as Captain & Tennille and Chaka Khan.

In the late 1980s, Baylor became sober and shifted her focus to gospel music. She released her first gospel album, Highly Recommended, on Word Records in 1990. The following year she released Look a Little Closer, and in 1993 she released Start All Over, which included the song "Sold Out." That same year, she was ordained as a minister at Crenshaw Christian Center. "Sold Out" won a Dove Award for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1994.

Baylor’s 1994 album The Live Experience reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. She continued to release albums including Love Brought Me Back (1996), Helen Baylor...Live (1999), and My Everything (2002). In 1995, she received an honorary doctorate in Sacred Music from Friends International Christian University. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2007, Baylor published her autobiography, No Greater Love: The Helen Baylor Story, chronicling her journey from addiction to faith and ministry.