Jepson was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1904, (Two sources give her birthday as November 28, 1906.) and raised in Akron, Ohio, where she studied voice and performed in high school operatic productions. Her father operated a confectionery store in Akron. Her mother died when Helen was 13, an event that left her to care for her father and her sister, who was 3 at the time.\n', 'She attended the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia on scholarship. She sang with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company and formed a four singer group called "The Mississippi Misses", traveling "6,000 miles in 12 weeks giving concerts in 87 towns".\n', 'Jepson\'s professional success accelerated in Philadelphia leading to a move to New York City with her husband, flautist George Poselle. (Two sources spell his last name Possell, rather than Poselle.) Her career in radio began in 1933 with a performance with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Philip James. The broadcast was only local to New Jersey. She would later perform on the radio with bandleaders Paul Whiteman and Rudy Vallee also. She was selected as Most Important New Air Personality of 1934".\n', '

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