Chronicle: Singer/songwriter Helen Cornelius passed July 18. She was 83. Born in Hannibal, MO, Cornelius grew up playing in local bands with her family. She signed as a songwriter in 1970, and later as a solo artist, but it wasn't until a 1976 duet with Jim Ed Brown went to No. 1 ("I Don't Want To Have To Marry You") that she found chart success. The pair recorded together for the remainder of the decade, amassing seven more top 10s. They were named the CMA Vocal Duo of the Year in 1977. Cornelius and Brown ended their partnership in 1981, and Cornelius went on to become a regular perfomer in Gatlinburg, TN and Branson, MO. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research here. Visitation will be held July 25 from 12pm to 2pm with a service immediately following at the Williamson Memorial Funeral Home (3009 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064). A private burial will be held after for family and close friends. Full obituary here.