Helen Kate Shapiro was born on September 28, 1946, in Bethnal Green, London, England. She is a British pop and jazz singer and actress, known for her deep, mature voice, which was unusual for someone so young. Shapiro rose to fame in the early 1960s as one of Britain's most successful female singers while still a teenager. Her debut single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child," reached number three on the UK Singles Chart in 1961 when she was just 14 years old. She followed this with two UK chart-toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness," both released in 1961.

Shapiro's early success continued with hits like "Tell Me What He Said" and appearances in films such as "Play It Cool" and "It's Trad, Dad!" In 1963, she toured with The Beatles, who were her supporting act at the time. Despite the changing music scene, Shapiro transitioned into musical theatre and jazz in the 1970s, performing in the West End and touring with British jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

Born to Russian-Jewish immigrant grandparents, Shapiro grew up in a council flat in Clapton and later moved to Victoria Park in Hackney. She attended Northwold Primary School and Clapton Park Comprehensive School. Her parents, who worked in the garment industry, encouraged her musical pursuits, even though they were too poor to own a record player. Shapiro played the banjolele and sang with her brother's skiffle group as a child. She began singing lessons at the Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing at age 13, which led to her discovery by Columbia Records.

Despite stepping away from mainstream pop, Shapiro continues to record music and is involved in Messianic Judaism.