This shouldn't have surprised me, as I've had decades to piece it together. Still, I was gobsmacked when I looked it up recently and learned that Bobby Helms was only 22 when "Jingle Bell Rock" hit the charts in 1957. I first heard "Jingle Bell Rock" when I was in grade school, and Helms sounded at least 40 to me then.
Listening to "Jingle Bell Rock" now, I still think he still sounds at least 40. His voice still doesn't sound that youthful to me--and that's not a criticism. It's all the more impressive, I think, if you sound mature beyond your years and can pull off a Christmas tune intended mainly for kids.
