Barry Langford facts for kids
Barry Langford (born February 7, 1926 – died July 25, 2012) was a British television and music director, producer, and businessman. He directed many TV shows for the BBC in the 1960s and 1970s. He also managed famous musicians like David Bowie and Tom Jones. Barry Langford helped make BBC television better and also supported the growth of Israeli television in the 1970s.
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Early Life
Barry Langford was born in London, England, on February 7, 1926. He had a younger brother named Lawrence Langford (1927–2020). Lawrence later built one of the world's biggest collections of old marine items and model ships.
Barry grew up in the UK and had a happy childhood with his brother. He showed an interest in music from a young age. His family moved often because his father traveled for business. This meant Barry went to several different schools.
Professional Career
Starting Out
Before working in television, Barry Langford served in the British army during World War II. He joined when he was 18 years old. His family had many entertainers, including musicians and stunt performers. Barry worked for the Entertainments National Service Association, which provided fun shows for the British Army during the war.
After the war, Barry's father, Louis Langford, retired from the family silver business. Barry then took over the business. He worked to attract American customers to the silver vaults in London. His business grew and became more focused on selling directly to people. The shop later moved to Charles Street, which was a great location. Famous people like Elizabeth Taylor, Liberace, and Ava Gardner became customers.
Over time, Barry started producing shows at the Brighton Theatre. He was also featured in a documentary called Citizen 63, which looked at five people living in London. His work caught the eye of a big entertainment boss named Lew Grade. Barry and Lew met and found they had similar ideas about entertainment. Lew helped guide Barry into becoming a TV director.
British TV and Music
With Lew Grade's help, Barry became a successful TV director, even though he had no experience before. He directed "The Beat Room," a popular British pop music show. He also directed other pop shows like Juke Box Jury, "Dad, you're a square," and the Tom Jones BBC TV series.
While working in the music industry, Barry discovered David Bowie and helped start Tom Jones's career. He managed both of them for a while. He also managed American singer P.J. Proby. Barry Langford was also involved in discovering the Who, featuring them on "The Beat Room" and other shows he directed.
Personal Life
While still working in the family silver business, Barry met Shirley Irene Hale. She was the daughter of another silver dealer. They got married and had two children, Jeremy and Caroline.
After leaving the silver business, the family traveled a lot. They moved between Australia and the United Kingdom several times before settling in Israel in 1972. Barry worked in the Israeli television and music industry until he retired. Later in life, he and Shirley divorced.
Barry Langford was a very good bridge player. He played professionally for Australian teams and became one of Israel's best players. He passed away on July 25, 2012, in Israel.
Standing Up for What's Right
After leaving the army, Barry Langford became an early member of the 43 Group. This group was made up of 43 young British Jewish ex-soldiers. They were against the activities of groups like Oswald Mosley's Union Movement and other British fascist organizations. The 43 Group protested, broke up far-right meetings, and even went undercover in these groups to fight against them.
See also
- Entertainments National Service Association
