The Barry Sisters facts for kids
Minnie Bagelman (born April 6, 1923, died October 31, 1976) and Clara Bagelman (born October 17, 1920, died November 22, 2014) were famous American singers. They were best known by their stage names, Merna and Claire Barry. From the 1940s to the early 1970s, they entertained many people with their unique blend of Yiddish and jazz music.
Contents
Meet The Barry Sisters
Growing Up and Starting Out
Minnie and Clara were born in the Bronx, a part of New York City. Their parents, Herman and Ester, came from parts of what are now Ukraine and Austria. Herman Bagelman was born in a place called Berdychiv in Ukraine. The sisters also had two younger sisters, Celia and Julia.
When Minnie and Clara decided to sing, they chose to perform in Yiddish, which is a language spoken by many Jewish people. At first, they were known as The Bagelman Sisters. Their father wanted them to sing in a traditional "Old World" style, not with American accents.
Their First Big Break
The young sisters got their first chance to sing on a radio show for children called Uncle Norman on WLTH Radio. They were still called The Bagelman Sisters then. In the late 1930s, they made their first recordings with Victor Records. They quickly became known for singing Yiddish songs with a jazz twist.
A famous Yiddish song called "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" became very popular when The Andrews Sisters sang it. This led to a musician named Sam Medoff (also known as Dick Manning) starting a radio show called Yiddish Melodies in Swing in New York. Before joining this show, the sisters changed their last name from Bagelman to Barry.
Famous Performances and Tours
From 1937 until the mid-1950s, the Barry Sisters were a big part of the Yiddish Melodies in Swing radio show. They would sing jazz songs that were translated into Yiddish. For example, they sang "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in Yiddish, calling it "Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop."
They also performed in the Catskill Mountains in New York, which were popular resort areas. Later, they even toured with another famous entertainer, Mickey Katz. At the peak of their fame, they appeared on popular TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jack Paar Program, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
In 1959, they were one of the few American acts to tour the Soviet Union. They also entertained Israeli soldiers during the Yom Kippur War. People often said that the Barry Sisters looked very glamorous and spent a lot of money to have the best music arrangements for their songs.
Their last album, called Our Way, came out in 1973.
Their Lives Off Stage
Merna Barry, whose real name was Minnie Bagelman, later married Emanuel Pine. She was born on April 6, 1923, and passed away on October 31, 1976, at the age of 53.
Claire Barry, whose real name was Clara Bagelman, later married Mr. Easton. She was born on October 17, 1920, and passed away on November 22, 2014, at the age of 94. She lived 38 years longer than her younger sister. Claire was survived by her daughter, Joy Pargman. In 2002, Claire Barry Easton was featured in a radio show called The Yiddish Radio Project on NPR.
