Barry White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barry White
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White performing in 1974
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Barry Eugene Carter |
| Also known as | Lee Barry |
| Born | September 12, 1944 Galveston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | July 4, 2003 (aged 58) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1958–2003 |
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Barry Eugene Carter (born September 12, 1944 – died July 4, 2003), known as Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. He won two Grammy Awards and was famous for his deep bass voice and romantic style. He became very successful in the 1970s. He sang solo and with The Love Unlimited Orchestra. He created many popular soul, funk, and disco songs. His biggest hits were "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything".
Barry White recorded 20 studio albums during his career. Many of his albums and songs sold millions of copies. He had 20 gold and 10 platinum singles. He sold over 100 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was inspired by artists like James Cleveland, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, the Four Tops, and Marvin Gaye.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Barry Eugene Carter was born on September 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas. His mother was Sadie Marie Carter, and his father was Melvin A. White. He used his mother's last name at first, but later took his father's name. He grew up in the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, California. He was the older of two brothers. Barry listened to his mother's classical music records. He started playing the piano by trying to copy what he heard.
When Barry was 14, his voice suddenly became very deep. He remembered: "I woke up one morning when I was 14. I spoke to my mother and I scared both of us." This deep voice later became his trademark.
At 16, Barry had a challenging time. While in jail, he heard Elvis Presley's song "It's Now or Never" on the radio. He later said this moment changed his life. On his 18th birthday, he skipped school to visit Capitol Records in Los Angeles. He stood outside for hours, feeling inspired to work in the music industry. Even though he couldn't read or write music, he was determined.
Music Career Journey
After his teenage challenges, Barry White left his old life behind. He began his music career in the early 1960s. He sang in groups like The Upfronts. He also released some songs on his own under the name Lee Barry.
In the mid-1960s, Bob Keane hired him as an A&R man. This meant he helped find new artists and worked with them. Barry wrote songs, played instruments, and arranged music for other singers. He helped singer Felice Taylor have big hits like "I Feel Love Comin' On".
Becoming a Producer in the 1970s
In 1972, Barry White got a big chance. He started producing a girl group he found called Love Unlimited. He had worked with them for two years. He helped them sign with Uni Records. Barry wrote and arranged their famous song "Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love". This song became a huge hit, selling over a million copies. You can even hear Barry's deep voice answering the phone in the song!
Later, Barry moved his production work and Love Unlimited to 20th Century Records. Love Unlimited had more hits like "I Belong to You". Barry married the group's lead singer, Glodean James, in 1974.
The Love Unlimited Orchestra
In 1973, Barry created The Love Unlimited Orchestra. This was a large group with 40 musicians. At first, they were meant to play backup for Love Unlimited. But Barry had other ideas. In 1973, he released a song called "Love's Theme" with the orchestra. It became a number one hit!
He continued to make albums with the orchestra. They had other successful songs like "Satin Soul" and "Forever in Love". The orchestra stopped making new albums in 1983. However, they continued to play as Barry's backing band.
Barry White's Solo Success
Barry wanted to work with a male singer. He recorded some demo songs of himself singing. But his friend Larry Nunes heard them and told Barry to release them himself. Barry was shy at first, but he finally agreed.
In 1973, he released his first solo album, I've Got So Much to Give. It included his first solo hit, "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby". This song reached number one on the R&B charts.
Other big hits from Barry White included:
- "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)
Because of his deep voice and romantic songs, people gave him nicknames. In the UK, he was called "The Walrus of Love." In the US, he was known as "Dr. Love," "Mr. Love," and "The Maestro."
Later Career: 1980s and 1990s
As the disco era ended, Barry's songs were not as popular on the pop charts. But he still had many loyal fans. He continued to release albums and tour. In 1987, his song "Sho' You Right" was a hit on the R&B charts.
In the 1990s, people started loving 1970s music again. This helped Barry White become popular once more. He sang on Quincy Jones's album Back on the Block in 1989. Then, his 1991 album Put Me in Your Mix was very successful.
In 1994, he released The Icon Is Love. This album went to number one on the R&B album charts. The song "Practice What You Preach" became his first number one R&B single in almost 20 years.
Barry also recorded a song with Tina Turner called "In Your Wildest Dreams" in 1996. He also sang "Basketball Jones" with Chris Rock for the Space Jam movie soundtrack.
His last album, Staying Power, came out in 1999. The song "Staying Power" won him two Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. He also wrote his autobiography, Love Unlimited, in 1999.
Acting and Voice Work
Barry White also used his famous voice for acting. He did voice-overs for TV shows and movies. He was the voice of Brother Bear in the film Coonskin (1975).
He appeared as himself in two episodes of The Simpsons. In the episode "Whacking Day", Bart and Lisa used his deep singing voice to save snakes. Barry White was a big fan of the show and wanted to be on it. He also appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled".
Barry White also did voice work for commercials. He was a bus driver in a Prodigy commercial. He voiced a rabbit in a Good Seasons salad dressing commercial. He also did voice-overs for car commercials, like for Oldsmobile and Jeep. You can also hear his voice in Apple's first iBook commercial. He made three guest appearances on the TV show Ally McBeal, where his music was often played.
Personal Life
Barry White was married twice. His first wife was his childhood sweetheart, Mary. They had four children together. In 1974, he married singer Glodean James. They also had four children. Their daughter Shaherah was his personal assistant. His son Barry Jr. played in the Love Unlimited Orchestra. Barry White had at least nine children.
Health and Passing
Barry White struggled with his health for many years. He was overweight and smoked a lot. In 1995, he had a stroke due to high blood pressure. He recovered and continued to perform.
In 2002, he was hospitalized for kidney failure, which was linked to his high blood pressure. He also had diabetes. In May 2003, while waiting for a kidney transplant, he had another severe stroke. This made him unable to perform anymore.
Barry White passed away on July 4, 2003, at the age of 58. He died from heart problems. His ashes were scattered in the ocean off the California coast.
Legacy and Impact
Barry White's music and voice continue to be loved by many. On September 20, 2004, he was honored by being added to the Dance Music Hall of Fame. On September 12, 2013, which would have been his 60th birthday, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The TV show Counting Cars paid tribute to him by restoring his last car for his widow, Glodean. The BBC once described his voice by saying: "If chocolate fudge cake could sing, it would sound like Barry White." His unique voice and romantic songs left a lasting mark on music.
Awards and Nominations
Barry White was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards. He won two Grammy Awards in 2000 for his album Staying Power.
Discography
- Studio albums
- I've Got So Much to Give (1973)
- Stone Gon' (1973)
- Can't Get Enough (1974)
- Just Another Way to Say I Love You (1975)
- Let the Music Play (1976)
- Is This Whatcha Wont? (1976)
- Barry White Sings for Someone You Love (1977)
- The Man (1978)
- I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing (1979)
- The Message Is Love (1979)
- Sheet Music (1980)
- Barry & Glodean (With Glodean White) (1981)
- Beware! (1981)
- Change (1982)
- Dedicated (1983)
- The Right Night & Barry White (1987)
- The Man Is Back! (1989)
- Put Me in Your Mix (1991)
- The Icon Is Love (1994)
- Staying Power (1999)
Images for kids
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Barry White performing in 1974
See also
In Spanish: Barry White para niños
