Information AboutBarry White |
Barry Eugene White (born '''Barrence Eugene Carter''', – ) was a Grammy Award winning American Record Producer , Songwriter and Singer responsible for the creation of numerous hit Soul and Disco Song s. He released numerous Gold and platinum albums, numerous gold singles and platinum singles. All inclusive, record sales of White's music with singles, albums, are in excess of 50 million. He created the Love Unlimited Orchestra, which included string and percussion players. Records featuring White's deep Bass voice and suave delivery were used by couples wishing to create a Romantic ambience, and indeed many of his fans in later years could boast that they had conceived children, or been conceived themselves, to the sound of a Barry White recording. Considered handsome and deeply romantic by his many female fans and admired for the unique blend of soul and classical orchestral musical elements he created, White was often affectionately referred to as the " Maestro " or "The Man with the Velvet Voice". His portly physical stature led some in the popular press to refer to him as the "Walrus of Love" (a moniker not appreciated by some fans). Barry was also know as "The Sultan of Smooth Soul." BIOGRAPHY Early life and career White was born in , where he joined a gang at the age of 10. At 17 he was jailed for four months for stealing $10,000 worth of tires. While in jail, White listened to Elvis Presley singing " It's Now Or Never " on the radio, an experience he later credited with changing the course of his life. After his release, he left gang life and began a musical career at the dawn of the 1960s in singing groups before going out on his own in the middle of the decade. The marginal success he had to that point was as a songwriter; his songs were recorded by rock singer Bobby Fuller and TV Bubblegum act The Banana Splits . He was also responsible in 1963 for arranging " Harlem Shuffle " for Bob & Earl , which became a hit in the UK in 1969. Success In 1969, he got his break backing up three talented singers in a girl group called Love Unlimited. Formed in imitation of the legendary Motown girl group The Supremes , the group members honed their talents with White for the next two years until they all signed contracts with 20th Century Records. White produced, wrote and arranged the classic soul ballad "Walking in the Rain (With The One I Love)", which hit the Top 20 of the pop charts. The group would score more hits throughout the '70s and White eventually married the lead singer of the group, Glodean James . While working on a few demos for a male singer, the record label suggested White step out in front of the microphone, to which he reluctantly agreed. His first solo chart hit, 1973 's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby", rose to #1 R&B and #3 Pop. That same year, the Love Unlimited Orchestra's recording of White's composition " Love's Theme " reached #1 Pop in 1974, one of only two instrumental recordings ever to do so. Some regard "Love's Theme" as the first Disco hit ever. Other chart hits by White include " Never, Never Gonna Give You Up " (1973), "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" (1974), "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" (1974), "What Am I Gonna Do With You" (1975), "Let the Music Play" (1976), "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me" (1977), "Your Sweetness is My Weakness" (1978), and "Change" (1982). Comebacks Although White's success on the pop charts slowed down as the disco era came to an end, he maintained a loyal following throughout his career. In the 1990s , he mounted an effective comeback with the albums ''The Icon Is Love'' (1994), whose biggest hit, "Practice What You Preach" reached the top of the charts, and ''Staying Power'' (1999), for which he won 2 Grammy Awards . Death White had been ill with chronically high Blood Pressure for some time, which resulted in Renal Failure in the autumn of 2002 . He suffered a Stroke in May 2003 , after which he was forced to retire from public life. On July 4, 2003, he died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood , at the age of 58 from Renal Failure . White was Cremated , and his ashes were scattered by his family off the California coast. He was a very good friend to Pavarotti , who confirmed in an interview that White would be missed. Barry White's death bed words were, "Leave me alone - I'm fine." On September 20, 2004, he was posthumously inducted into the Dance Music Hall Of Fame at a ceremony held in New York. Recently however local California tabloids have reported alleged 'sightings' of White, leading some of his more extreme fans to believe that the musical role model lives on. MUSICAL STYLE White's recordings featured a distinctive sound that combined Orchestra l instrumentation ( String Section , Woodwinds , Horns , Harpsichord s, etc.) with a steady drumbeat and as many as five Electric Guitar s. His Arrangement s were influential on the emerging sound of disco music in the early 1970s. A distinctive feature of White's music was the steamy spoken introductions and interludes that appeared in many of his songs. Perhaps the most notorious of these appeared in the track "Love Serenade (Part 1)", from his 1975 album ''Just Another Way to Say I Love You'':
ACTING Over the course of his career White occasionally did work as a Voice Actor . He voiced the character Bear in the 1975 film '' Coonskin '' (and also played the character Sampson in the movie's live-action segments). He was featured in several episodes of '' The Simpsons '' including " Whacking Day ", in which he used his deep bass voice played through speakers placed on the ground to attract snakes. He also did the voice of a rabbit in a Good Seasons salad dressing mix commercial, singing a song called ''You Can't Bottle Love''. White had been offered the chance to play the voice of Chef in the cartoon series '' South Park '' (who had been modeled after White), but declined; as a devout Christian, White was uncomfortable with South Park's often irreverent humor. The part was eventually played by Isaac Hayes . CULTURAL REFERENCES White's music was frequently showcased on the late- 1990s television show '' Ally McBeal ''; the show often used esoteric references to what was going on inside characters' heads. For example, John Cage (played by Peter MacNicol ) would hear "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" play inside his head, in order to increase his confidence, often accompanied with a dance routine. The use of White's music on the show revitalized his career, and he eventually made a guest appearance during the show's second season and again in the series finale. In the film '' Bruce Almighty '', Bruce (played by Jim Carrey ) has been given God-like powers and makes the stereo play "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" in order to seduce Jennifer Aniston 's character. In the movie "Money Talks" Chris Tucker played (My First, My Last, and My Everything). White enjoys tremendous popularity in Georgia . DISCOGRAPHY Albums Love Unlimited & Love Unlimited Orchestra
Barry White
Singles and US chart placings US Pop chart peaks: . Love Unlimited
Love Unlimited Orchestra
Barry White
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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