Thread: Barry White - The Maestro!

The Unforgettable Barry White…….The Maestro.

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Say the name Barry White and you'd be hard pressed to follow it with the name of any other recording artist with such a huge, cross-sectional following. ‘The Walrus of Lurve’ with his large frame and unmistakably deep, rich, voice, was a towering figure in the world of soul music; he enjoyed a virtual monopoly on pillow talk disco.

Barrence Eugene Carter was born on September 12 1944; he had his mothers surname until his father (they were not married) changed it to White on the birth certificate.
Barry and his younger brother were raised in the rough city of Los Angeles in the 50’s, they both experienced gang crime, discrimination, hatred and violence in their young years.
Barry’s singularly deep voice caused his piano playing mother to scream with fright when his voice broke at the age of 14. “I woke up, and spoke to my mother, and the whole of my chest vibrated, she was in shock, and it scared us both to death," he said. He learnt to play the piano without any lessons, off his mother and a significant period in his life came when he was 16 years old, Barry was sent to jail for stealing tyres off Cadillacs.
Whilst in jail he heard the song by Elvis Presley ‘Its Now or Never’ on the radio, that song inspired him and when he got out he said, “Never again”.

Barry loved music, and in the 60s, he was hired as a singer and pianist, arranging and producing music. His first taste of success came in 1963 when he was involved with Bob and Earl on the classic tune ‘Harlem Shuffle’. During these sessions he met arranger Gene Page. Barry was married to his childhood sweetheart, and with four children he was eager to make a living to support his family. The marriage was not to last however, and ended in divorce in 1965 (when Barry was 21).

In 1968, while sitting in on a Motown recording session, Barry met three backing singers, they were Glodean James, her sister Linda, and their cousin Diane Taylor, the group were called ‘Love Unlimited’. In 1969 Barry worked with Love Unlimited for two years and in 1971 met Russ Regan of UNI records who eventually signed Love Unlimited to the label.

In the spring of 1972 they released their first single, "Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love”, during which Barry's trademark deep, silky-voiced talk over is heard for the first time. The single became a worldwide smash, reaching Top Twenty status in both the US and UK. Love Unlimited went on to have more hits throughout the 70’s.

People had heard Barry singing his tunes and persuaded him to release them himself. He recorded his debut album ‘I’ve Got So Much to Give’ and the single track off the album ‘Never Never Gonna Give You Up’ went gold and became the fastest-selling single in 20th Century record label’s history. Barry also wrote the classic instrumental ‘Love’s Theme’, who some regard this tune as the first disco hit ever.
Barry married Glodean James of Love Unlimited in October 1974 and they became the hippest couple in showbiz. Barry White, Love Unlimited and the Orchestra came to the UK in 1975 on a triumphant world tour.
I saw Barry in concert several times, he was remarkable, and he stood there with his 100 piece Love Unlimited orchestra behind him, and was totally mesmerising to watch. I never have forgotten his concerts, he was awesome. He was a giant presence on stage and his songs revolved around the sentiment of love, giving love, receiving love, and spreading love, which was all set to a symphonic rhapsody of lush musical arrangements. Fabulous!

Between 1973 and 1979 Barry White, Love Unlimited and the Love Unlimited Orchestra released 20 albums on 20th Century records, almost all of which achieved at least Gold status in America. He sold $16 million worth of records in 1974 alone and the New York Times reported that Barry was responsible by some for the so called ‘Baby Boom' in the mid-Seventies, “Not me personally, but my music!" Barry teased.
Barry's long list of hits achieved classic status, with discs such as "Love's Theme”, "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", “Let The Music Play”, “What Am I Gonna Do With You", "It May Be Winter Outside", “You See The Trouble With Me” “Never Gonna Give You Up”, “Just The Way You Are” and “Don't Make Me Wait Too Long”, all disco hits and classics.
In 1983 his brother Darryl, who he called his "best friend", was shot and killed by a neighbour in a dispute over change from a $20 note. Barry White maintained that if he had not gotten into the music industry, he may have suffered the same fate.

In the 1990s, he bounced back onto the music scene with two albums ‘The Icon Is Love’ (1994), whose biggest hit, "Practice What You Preach" reached the top of the charts, and 1996, he recorded the incredibly steamy ‘Staying Power’ album & the title track was with rock icon Tina Turner. This won Barry 2 Grammy Awards, and in addition, his music was often featured on the sitcom Ally McBeal where he appeared on the show twice.
Barry White, suffered from hypertension and chronic high blood pressure, and was hospitalized for kidney failure in September of 2002. He died July 4, 2003 at a West Hollywood hospital. By the time of his death, Barry White had achieved a near-universal acclaim and popularity that few artists achieve and even fewer within their own lifetime. He left eight children, who nearly all feature in the music business.

He was a phenomenon spanning over four decades; the legendary Barry White carved a unique place in the hearts of music fans across the world. His success was truly international, reflected by more than 100 Gold and 38 Platinum record awards. We will always share a little love in our hearts for Barry White: writer, arranger, producer and a super smooth vocalist. His influence on music has been awesome, and will continue to be so.
© Smile Magazine. Oct/Nov 2008

Wikipedia - Barry White