Barry and Sally Childs-Helton are a husband-and-wife duo of
filk performers based in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, IN. Barry is an accomplished guitarist and prolific songwriter, while Sally is a creative percussionist (as well as a certified
Music for People improvisation teacher ). Their eclectic repertoire ranges from clever parodies to lyrically dense "space music," mining diverse musical genres including folk, blues, rock and jazz. Both Barry and Sally have doctorate degrees in
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
, and the title of their album ''Paradox'' is an intentional pun. (However, Sally's song ''Alphabet Soup'' can be read as her commentary on academia.) They are legacy members of
The Black Book Band (active 1990–1998) and current members of
Wild Mercy (2002-present). Together they have been nominated 21 times for the Pegasus Award given by the Ohio Valley Filk Fest, collecting 5 trophies. In 2003, they were inducted into the
Filk Hall of Fame
Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s.
Etymology and defin ...
.
Discography
* ''Escape from Mundania'' 1987, Space Opera House - cassette
* ''Paradox'' 1989, Space Opera House - cassette
* ''First Contact'' 1995, Dodeka Records (with Black Book Band) - cassette
* ''First Contact'' 1997, Dodeka Records (with Black Book Band) - CD with bonus tracks
* ''Tempus Fugitives'' 2001, Dodeka Records - CD compilation of selected tracks from ''Escape from Mundania'' and ''Paradox''
* ''Summer Storm'' 2003, Small Green Alien Productions (with Wild Mercy) - CD
* ''Furious Fancies'' 2005, Small Green Alien Productions (with Wild Mercy) - CD
* ''Dream of a Far Light'' 2008, Small Green Alien Productions (with WIld Mercy) - CD
* ''The Summers Behind You'' 2015, Dragon Scale Studios (Barry solo) - CD
Pegasus Awards
*1988 Best Performer
*1993 (Barry) Best Space Song (''Lightsailor'')
*1994 (w/ Black Book Band) Best Performer
*2012 (w/ Wild Mercy) Best Performer
*2016 (Barry) Best Writer/Composer
Pegasus Nominations (individually and jointly)
* Best Writer/Composer - 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015
* Best Performer - 1991, 1993, 2008, 2009
* Best Genre Crossover - 1992, 1993
* Best Fannish Song - 1990
* Best Love Song - 1991
* Best End of the World Song - 2000
* Best Risque Song - 1994
* Best Filk Song - 2010
* Best Classic Filk Song - 2016, 2017
References
American musical duos
Filkers
Living people
Indiana University alumni
Musicians from Indiana
Male–female musical duos
Married couples
Songwriters from Indiana
Year of birth missing (living people)
{{US-band-stub