Claudja Barry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudja Barry
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| Born | 1952 (age 72–73) Jamaica |
| Genres | Disco, hi-NRG, pop, house |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Lollipop, Epic |
Claudja Barry (born in 1952) is a singer from Jamaica who also became a Canadian citizen. She is famous for her hit songs like "Down and Counting", "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes", and "Dancing Fever". Claudja Barry also acted in stage musicals in Europe, including AC/DC and Catch My Soul.
Contents
Claudja Barry's Music Journey
Starting Out in Music and Acting
When Claudja was six years old, her family moved from Jamaica to Scarborough, Canada. After finishing high school, she went to London to pursue her dreams. There, she got a part in the musical AC/DC. Later, she joined a German version of the musical Catch My Soul. This play toured around Europe, and Claudja ended up in West Germany in 1975.
In 1975, she signed with Hot Foot label and released her first song, "Reggae Bump". This song helped her get noticed by German producer Frank Farian. He was putting together a new music group called Boney M.. Claudja joined the group, but she left in early 1976 because she didn't want to just pretend to sing. She was replaced by Liz Mitchell.
After leaving Boney M., Claudja teamed up with Jürgen Korduletsch, who later became her husband. They released her first single on the Lollipop label, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do". She was also asked to join another famous group, Silver Convention, but she decided not to.
First Albums and Big Hits
Claudja Barry released her first album, Sweet Dynamite, in November 1976. The title song became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Disco chart. The next year, "Dancin' Fever" also became a hit.
Her biggest song, "Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes", came out in early 1979. It reached No. 7 in Canada and on Billboard's Disco Chart. It was also popular in Sweden and Belgium. In 1979, Claudja won a Juno Award for being the "Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year" in Canada.
Music in the 1980s
Claudja started the 1980s with her album Feel the Fire. In 1981, she tried a new style of music called new wave and Hi-NRG with her album Made in Hong Kong. The song "Radio Action" from this album became a popular club hit.
She then moved to New York and had more success with Hi-NRG cover songs. She covered "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March and "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds. Both were very popular in dance clubs.
In 1985, Claudja appeared in the movie Rappin', which starred Mario Van Peebles. That same year, she released the song "Born to Love", which became a Top 20 hit on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
In 1986, Claudja signed with Epic Records. She had a huge dance hit with "Down and Counting", which reached No. 1 on the dance charts. She also had other successful songs from her album I, Claudja, like "Can't You Feel My Heartbeat" and "Secret Affair".
The 1990s and Beyond
After her time with Epic Records, Claudja Barry released many techno and Eurodance songs. These included "Love Is An Island" (1991) and "Summer of Love" (1992). She also covered a Prince song called "When 2 R in Love" in 1992.
In late 1993, Claudja was the lead singer for the German Eurodance group General Base on their song "Poison". This song was very popular in Israel and Germany. Many of her earlier albums were re-released on CD in the 1990s. She also released a Christmas dance album called Disco 'round The Christmas Tree in 1995.
In 1999, the R&B artist Montell Jordan used a part of Claudja's song "Love For the Sake of Love" in his hit song "Get It On Tonite". Another artist, Da Brat, also used the same sample in her song "What'chu like" in 2000.
Claudja Barry returned to the Billboard charts in May 2006 with her song "I Will Stand". By July, it was a Top 10 hit on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 2015, she released her eighth album, Come On Standup, which was available only as a digital download.
Claudja Barry's Albums
- Sweet Dynamite (1976)
- The Girl Most Likely (also known as Claudja) (1978)
- I Wanna Be Loved by You (1978)
- Feel the Fire (1979)
- Made in Hong Kong (1981)
- I, Claudja (1987)
- Come On Standup (2015) – digital download only
Claudja Barry's Hit Songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance |
US Pop |
US R&B |
AUS |
BEL (WA) |
CAN |
SWE |
|||
| "Sweet Dynamite" | 1977 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sweet Dynamite |
| "Dancing Fever" | 1978 | 6 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | The Girl Most Likely |
| "Down by the Water" (Germany and Austria-only release) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Wanna Be Loved by You | |
| "(Boogie Woogie) Dancin' Shoes" | 1979 | 7 | 56 | 37 | 32 | 15 | 7 | 14 | |
| "You Make Me Feel the Fire" | 55 | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | Feel the Fire | |
| "Radio Action" | 1981 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Made in Hong Kong |
| "I Will Follow Him" / "Work Me Over" | 1982 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "For Your Love" / "Beat My Drum" | 1983 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | No La De Da, Part 2 (EP) |
| "Tripping on the Moon" | 1984 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Born to Love" / "Your Sweet Touch" | 1985 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Down and Counting" | 1986 | 1 | — | 98 | — | — | — | — | I, Claudja |
| "Can't You Feel My Heart Beat" | 1987 | 27 | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Secret Affair" | 30 | — | 60 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Hot to the Touch" | 1988 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Good Time" (S.I.N. featuring Claudja Barry) |
1990 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "I Will Stand" | 2006 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
More About Claudja Barry
- List of number-one dance singles of 1986 (U.S.)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- Bobby Orlando
