According to Lawton Williams, the idea for Bobby Helm’s 1957 number one, “Fraulein,” really had nothing to do with Germany!

Lawton says that in fact, the song was actually written about a “Texas Fraulein.”

Lawton commented, “I was engaged for five years to a little blonde headed German girl that I had met during World War Two.  She worked in the Traffic Department for Radio Station KTRH in Houston, Texas.  She was a true “Texas Fraulein.” She was from a South Texas German settlement called “Raccoon Bend” which was just outside Hempstead, Texas.”

“The idea for “Fraulein” actually came from my upbringing.  My mother was German and I was raised among German people. When I was young, I was taught that you could say “Fraulein” instead of “Miss.” So I guess you could say that my life inspired me to write that song.”

“Fraulein” entered the country music charts March 30^th, 1957 and made it to number one, where it stayed for four weeks.

It was Bobby Helms’ first chart single and was on the charts for 52 weeks. The record also scored a # 36 on the pop music charts. Between 1957 and 1996, Bobby Helms placed 13 songs on the country music charts.  

He died in 1997 at the age of 61.

Doug Davis