Barry Goldberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barry Goldberg
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Goldberg in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 25, 1941 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 2025 (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1964–2021 |
Barry Joseph Goldberg (born December 25, 1941 – died January 22, 2025) was an American musician. He was known for playing keyboards in blues and rock music. Barry was also a talented songwriter and helped produce many records.
He worked with famous artists like Percy Sledge and Charlie Musselwhite. He also helped produce Bob Dylan's version of the song "People Get Ready".
Contents
Barry Goldberg's Music Journey
Early Years and Famous Bands
When Barry Goldberg was a teenager in Chicago, he played with legendary blues musicians. He performed with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf.
In 1965, Barry played keyboards with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. They backed up Bob Dylan when he first used electric instruments at the Newport Folk Festival. This was a very famous moment in music history.
In 1967, Barry started a band called The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield. A year later, in 1968, he formed another group called the Barry Goldberg Reunion.
In 1965, Barry moved to Chicago to play blues music. There, he and Steve Miller started the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band. They recorded a song called "The Mother Song." They even performed it on a TV show called Hullabaloo. Steve Miller later left the band to move to San Francisco.
Writing Songs for Stars
Barry Goldberg wrote many songs, some with Gerry Goffin. These songs were recorded by a lot of well-known musicians. Some of these artists include Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Joe Cocker, and Steve Miller.
Barry's first professional recording session was for the songs "Devil with a Blue Dress On" and "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. He also played on albums like Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies' Man and The Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin. He was also part of the famous Super Session album with Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, and Al Kooper.
In 1974, Barry released his own album, titled Barry Goldberg. It was produced by music legends Bob Dylan and Jerry Wexler.
Producing and Collaborating
In the 1990s, Barry continued to be very active in music. In 1992, he played keyboards with the Carla Olson & Mick Taylor band. This led to a live CD called Too Hot for Snakes.
In 1994, Barry Goldberg and Saul Davis produced an album for Percy Sledge called Blue Night. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award. It also won the WC Handy soul album of the year award.
By 1999, Barry helped write and perform the theme song for the Disney Channel movie Smart House. The song was called "The House is Jumpin'".
In 2002, Barry played piano on a tribute album for Bo Diddley. He played on songs like "Pills" and "I'm A Man".
In 2004, Barry and Saul Davis again co-produced an album for Percy Sledge, called Shining Through The Rain.
From 2005 to 2006, Barry toured with the Chicago Blues Reunion. Their first CD reached number 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart. It also received a great review from Rolling Stone magazine.
Later Music Projects
In 2012, Stephen Stills asked Barry Goldberg to help start a new band called the Rides. They combined some of Stills's best past work with new music. The band also included guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and drummer Chris Layton. Barry helped write four songs on their first album, Can't Get Enough. This album was nominated for a 2014 Blues Music Award.
Barry also played on the Carla Olson album Have Harmony, Will Travel in 2013. He played the Hammond B3 organ and piano on several songs.
A documentary film about Chicago blues, called Born in Chicago, was released in 2013. Barry had worked on this project for several years. It included special contributions from Bob Dylan, B. B. King, and Buddy Guy.
In 2016, the Rides performed with Neil Young at a special event in Los Angeles. Later that year, the band released their second album, Pierced Arrow.
Barry Goldberg also produced music for the documentary film BANG! The Bert Berns Story. This film premiered in 2016.
His last CD, In the Groove, was released in 2018. This album featured new and classic instrumental songs. Barry played the Hammond B3 organ, piano, and Wurlitzer piano on the album.
Barry Goldberg also appeared on the album Americana Railroad, which was released in 2021.
Personal Life
Barry Goldberg was born in Chicago on December 25, 1941. He was the nephew of Arthur Goldberg. Arthur Goldberg was a famous lawyer who served as the United States Secretary of Labor and later as a Supreme Court Justice.
Barry Goldberg passed away in Los Angeles on January 22, 2025. He was 83 years old.
Discography
Albums
- 1966: Blowing My Mind
- 1967: The Trip: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – The Electric Flag
- 1968: A Long Time Comin' – The Electric Flag
- 1968: There's No Hole in My Soul
- 1969: Two Jews Blues – with Mike Bloomfield
- 1969: Street Man
- 1972: Barry Goldberg and Friends
- 1974: The Band Kept Playing – The Electric Flag
- 1974: Barry Goldberg
- 1976: Barry Goldberg & Friends Recorded Live
- 2002: ... Again
- 2013: Can't Get Enough – The Rides
- 2016: Pierced Arrow – The Rides
- 2018: In the Groove
Other Recordings
- 1970: Ivar Avenue Reunion as Ivar Avenue Reunion, with Neil Merryweather, Lynn Carey, Charlie Musselwhite
- 1971: Blasts From My Past (a collection of earlier songs)
- 2005: Chicago Blues Reunion: Buried Alive in the Blues with Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel, Tracy Nelson, Sam Lay, Corky Siegel
- 2006: Chicago Blues Reunion (a re-release of Barry Goldberg and Friends material)
- 2008: Harvey Mandel and the Snake Crew, as part of the Snake Crew
See also
In Spanish: Barry Goldberg para niños
