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BarryWhiteWikipedia

BarryWhite
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

BarryWhite(bornBarryEugeneCarterSeptember12,1944
July4,2003)wasanAmericancomposerandsinger
songwriter.

BarryWhite

AthreetimeGrammyAwardwinnerknownforhisdistinctive
bassbaritonevoiceandromanticimage,White'sgreatest
successcameinthe1970sasasolosingerandwiththeLove
UnlimitedOrchestra,craftingmanyenduringsoul,funk,and
discosongssuchashistwobiggesthits,"You'retheFirst,the
Last,MyEverything"and"Can'tGetEnoughofYourLove,
Babe".
Duringthecourseofhiscareerinthemusicbusiness,White
achieved106goldalbumsworldwide,41ofwhichalsoattained
platinumstatus.Whitehad20goldand10platinumsingles,
withworldwiderecordsalesinexcessof100million.Heisone
oftheworld'sbestsellingartistsofalltime.[1]Hisinfluences
includedRev.JamesCleveland,RayCharles,ArethaFranklin,
andElvisPresleyplusMotownartistsTheSupremes,TheFour
Tops,andMarvinGaye.
BarryWhiteattheGrandGaladuDisque
Populaire,1974.

Contents
1 Earlylife
1.1 Ganglifeandjailsentence
2 Musiccareer
2.1 The1960s
2.2 The1970sasproducer
2.3 The1970sassoloartist
2.4 TheLoveUnlimitedOrchestra
2.5 The1980s
2.6 The1990s
3 Actingcareer
4 Illnessanddeath
5 Tributes
6 Discography
7 References
8 Externallinks

Earlylife
BarryWhitewasbornBarryEugeneCarterinGalveston,Texas,
andgrewupinthehighcrimeareasofSouthCentralLos
Angeles.Whitewastheolderoftwochildren.Hisbrother
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_White

Backgroundinformation
Birthname

BarryEugeneCarter

Born

September12,1944
Galveston,Texas,UnitedStates

Died

July4,2003(aged58)
LosAngeles,California,United
States

Genres

R&B,soul,funk,disco,pop

Occupation(s) Singersongwriter,record
producer,arranger,musician
Instruments

Piano,harpsichord,keyboards,
vocals,drums

Yearsactive

19602003

Labels

20thCentury,UnlimitedGold,
Casablanca,Mercury,Private
Music/BMG,A&M,Eagle

Associatedacts LoveUnlimited,TheLove
UnlimitedOrchestra,GenePage,
DannyPearson,GloriaScott,Lisa
Stansfield
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Website
barrywhite.com(http://barrywhite.
Darrylwas13monthsyoungerthanBarry.Hegrewuplistening
tohismother'sclassicalmusiccollectionandfirsttooktothe
com)
piano,emulatingwhatheheardontherecords.Whitehasoften
beencreditedwithplayingpiano,atageeleven,onJesseBelvin's1956hitsingle,"GoodnightMyLove."[2][3]
However,ina1995interviewwithLarryKatzoftheBostonHerald,Whitedeniedwritingorarrangingthesong.
Hebelievedthestorywasanexaggerationbyjournalists.WhileWhiteandBelvinlivedinthesameneighborhood,
BelvinwastwelveyearsolderthanWhite.BarryWhitealsostatedthathehadnoinvolvementwithBob&Earl's
1963hitsingle"HarlemShuffle",asongheiscreditedwithproducing[4][5]andinhis1999autobiography,White
confirmedthesonghadbeenproducedbyGenePage,whohadworkedwithhimonmanyofWhite's1970s
successes.

White'svoicedeepenedsuddenlywhenhewasfourteen.[4]Whiterecalled:"[Asachild]Ihadanormalsqueaky
kidvoice.Thenasateenager,thatcompletelychanged.Mymothercriedbecausesheknewherbabyboyhad
becomeaman."

Ganglifeandjailsentence
HisbrotherDarrylwasmurderedinaclashwitharivalgang,andWhitehimselfwasjailedattheageof16for
stealing$30,000worthofCadillactires.[6]
Whileinjail,WhitelistenedtoElvisPresleysinging"It'sNoworNever"ontheradio,[7]anexperiencehelater
creditedwithchangingthecourseofhislife.[8]

Musiccareer
The1960s
Afterhisreleasefromjail,heleftganglifeandbeganamusicalcareeratthebeginningofthe1960sinsinging
groups.Hefirstreleased"TooFartoTurnAround"in1960aspartofTheUpfronts[9]beforeworkingforvarious
smallindependentlabelsinLosAngeles.Healsorecordedseveralsinglesunderhisownnameintheearly1960s,
backedbyvocalgroupstheAtlantics(fortheRampartandFarolabels)andtheMajestics(fortheLindaandJordan
labels).[9]
BobKeaneofDelFiRecordsthemanwhodiscoveredRitchieValenshiredhimasanA&Rmaninthemid
1960s,andWhitestartedworkingwiththelabel'sartists,includingViolaWillsandTheBobbyFullerFour,asa
songwriter,sessionmusician,andarranger.HediscoveredsingerFeliceTaylorandarrangedhersong"IFeelLove
Comin'On"cowrittenwithhisfriendPaulPolitiItbecameabighitintheUK.[3]Otherchartinghitswrittenby
WhiteandPolitiforherincluded"ItMayBeWinterOutside(ButinMyHeartIt'sSpring)"and"Underthe
InfluenceofLove".Whitealsowrote"Doin'theBananaSplit"forTVbubblegumactTheBananaSplitsin
1968.[10]

The1970sasproducer
In1972,hegothisbigbreakproducingagirlgrouphehaddiscoveredcalledLoveUnlimited.Formedinimitative
styleoftheMotowngirlgroupTheSupremes,thegroupmembershadgraduallyhonedtheirtalentswithWhitefor
twoyearspreviouslyuntiltheysignedcontractswithUniRecords.HisfriendPaulPolitihookedhimupwith
musicindustrybusinessmanLarryNunes,whohelpedtofinancetheiralbum.Afteritwasrecorded,Nunestook

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therecordingtoRussRegan,whowastheheadoftheUnilabelownedbyMCA.Thealbum,1972'sFromAGirl's
PointofViewWeGivetoYou...LoveUnlimited,becameamillionalbumsellerandthefirstofWhite'sstringof
longtitledalbumsandsingles.
Whiteproduced,wroteandarrangedtheirclassicsoulballad"Walkin'intheRainwiththeOneILove",which
climbedto#14intheBillboardHot100Popchartand#6ontheBillboardR&Bchartinlate1972.Thissinglealso
reached#12intheUKchart.White'svoicecanclearlybeheardinthispieceasheplaystheloverwhoanswersthe
phonecallofthefemalelead.
Soonafter,ReganleftUnifor20thCenturyRecords.WithoutRegan,White'srelationshipwithUnisoured.With
hisrelationshipwithUnioverandLoveUnlimitedcontractboundwiththelabel,Whitewasabletoswitchboth
hisproductiondealandthegroupto20thCenturyRecords.(Theyrecordedseveralotherhitsthroughoutthe1970s,
"IBelongtoYou",whichspentoverfivemonthsontheBillboardR&Bchartin1974includingaweekat#1and
"UndertheInfluenceofLove",whichhit#3ontheBillboardPopalbumcharts.Whitemarriedtheleadsingerof
thegroup,GlodeanJames,onJuly4,1974.)

The1970sassoloartist
Whitewantedtoworkwithanotheractbutdecidedtoworkwithasolomaleartist.Whileworkingonafewdemos
foramalesinger,hemadethreesongdemosofhimselfsingingandplaying,butNunesheardthemandinsisted
thathererecordandreleasethemhimselfasasolorecordingartist.Afterarguingfordaysaboutit,Whitewas
finallypersuadedtoreleasethesongshimselfalthoughhewasinitiallyreluctanttostepoutinfrontofthe
microphone.
Hethenwroteseveralothersongsandrecordedthemforwhateventuallybecameanentirealbumofmusic.He
wasgoingtousethename"WhiteHeat,"butdecidedonusinghisgivennameinstead.Whitewasstillhesitating
uptothetimethelabelcopywasmade.IteventuallybecamethefirstsoloWhitealbum,1973'sI'veGotSoMuch
toGive.Itincludedthetitletrackandhisfirstsolocharthit,"I'mGonnaLoveYouJustaLittleMoreBaby",which
alsoroseto#1ontheBillboardR&Bchartsaswellas#3ontheBillboardPopchartsin1973andstayedinthetop
40formanyweeks.
OthercharthitsbyWhiteincluded"Never,NeverGonnaGiveYaUp"(#2R&B,#7Popin1973),"Can'tGet
EnoughofYourLove,Babe"(#1PopandR&Bin1974),"You'retheFirst,theLast,MyEverything"(#1R&B,#2
Popin1974),"WhatAmIGonnaDowithYou"(#1R&B,#8Popin1975),"LettheMusicPlay"(#4R&Bin
1976),"It'sEcstasyWhenYouLayDownNexttoMe"(#1R&B,#4Popin1977)and"YourSweetnessisMy
Weakness"(#2R&Bin1978)andothers.WhitealsohadastrongfollowingintheUK,wherehescoredfiveTop
10hitsanda#1for"You'retheFirst,theLast,MyEverything".

TheLoveUnlimitedOrchestra
In1973WhitecreatedTheLoveUnlimitedOrchestra,a40pieceorchestralgrouptobeusedoriginallyasa
backingbandforthegirlgroupLoveUnlimited.However,Whitehadotherplans,andin1973hereleasedasingle
with"Love'sTheme"(writtenbyhimandplayedbytheOrchestra),thatsametrackreached#1ontheBillboard
Popcharts.Later,in1974,hemadethefirstalbumoftheLoveUnlimitedOrchestra,RhapsodyinWhite,
containing"Love'sTheme".Whiteissometimescreditedwithusheringinthe"disco"sound,seamlessly
combiningR&Bmusicwithclassicalmusic.Somealsoregard"Love'sTheme"asthefirsthitintheactual"disco
era".
BarryWhitewouldcontinuetomakealbumswiththeOrchestra,achievingsomesuccessessuchas:"Rhapsodyin
White""SatinSoul""ForeverinLove""MidnightGroove""MySweetSummerSuite",Remakeof"Theme
FromKingKong".TheOrchestraceasedtomakealbumsin1983,butcontinuedtosupportBarryWhiteasa
backingband.
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The1980s
AftersixyearsWhiteleft20thCenturyin1979tolaunchhisownlabel,UnlimitedGold,withCBS/Columbia
Records.Althoughhissuccessonthepopchartssloweddownasthediscoeracametoanend,hemaintaineda
loyalfollowingthroughouthiscareer.Despiteseveralalbumsoverthenextthreeyearshefailedtorepeathis
earliersuccesses,withnosinglesmanagingtoreachtheBillboardHot100exceptfor1982's"Change,"climbing
intotheBillboardR&BTop20(#12).HislabelventurewasexactingaheavyfinancialcostonWhite,sohe
concentratedonmostlytouringandfinallyfoldedhislabelin1983.
AfterfouryearshesignedwithA&MRecords,andwiththereleaseof1987'sTheRightNight&BarryWhite,the
singleentitled"Sho'YouRight"madeittotheBillboardR&Bcharts,peakingat#17.
In1989hereleasedTheManIsBack!andwithithadthreetop40singlesontheBillboardR&Bcharts:"Super
Lover",whichmadeitto#34,"IWannaDoItGoodtoYa",whichmadeitto#26,and"WhenWillISeeYou
Again",whichmadeitto#32.

The1990s
A1970snostalgiafadallowedWhitetoenjoyarenewedwaveofpopularityinthe1990s.Afterparticipatinginthe
song"TheSecretGarden(SweetSeductionSuite)"fromQuincyJones's1989albumBackontheBlock,White
mountedaneffectivecomebackwithseveralalbums,eachmoresuccessfulthanthelast.Hereturnedtothetopof
thechartsin1991withthealbumPutMeinYourMix,whichreached#8ontheBillboardR&BAlbumschartand
thesongbythesamenamereached#2ontheBillboardR&Bsingleschart.
In1994hereleasedTheIconIsLove,whichwentto#1ontheBillboardR&Balbumcharts,andthesingle
"PracticeWhatYouPreach"gavehimhisfirst#1ontheBillboardR&Bsingleschartinalmost20years.The
albumwasnominatedforaGrammyintheBestR&BAlbumcategory,butlosttoTLC'sCrazySexyCool.
In1996,Whiterecordedtheduet"InYourWildestDreams"withTinaTurner.1996alsosawthereleaseofSpace
Jamanditssoundtrack,onwhichWhitehadaduetwithChrisRock,called"BasketballJones,"aremakeof
Cheech&Chong's"BasketballJones"from1973.
Hisfinalalbum,1999'sStayingPower,resultedinhislasthitsong"StayingPower,"whichplaced#45onthe
BillboardR&Bcharts.ThesinglewonhimtwoGrammyAwardsinthecategoriesBestMaleR&BVocal
PerformanceandBestTraditionalR&BVocalPerformance.[11]
Hisautobiography,LoveUnlimited,writtenwithMarkEliot,waspublishedin1999byBroadwayBooks.[12]

Actingcareer
Overthecourseofhiscareer,WhitesometimesdidvoiceoverworkforTVandmovies.Hevoicedthecharacter
Bearinthe1975filmCoonskinandalsoplayedthecharacterSampsoninthemovie'sliveactionsegments.
HeappearedashimselfinafewepisodesofTheSimpsons,andmostimportantlytheepisode"WhackingDay"in
whichBartandLisausedhisfamouslydeepbasssingingvoice,playedthroughloudspeakersplacedontheground,
tolullandattractsnakes.Whitewasafanoftheshow,andhadreportedlycontactedthestaffaboutwantingto
makeaguestappearance.
HeplayedtheroleofabusdriverforaProdigycommercialin1995,andhealsoportrayedthevoiceofarabbitin
aGoodSeasonssaladdressingmixcommercial,singingasongcalled"YouCan'tBottleLove".
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Inaddition,hedidsomeworkforcarcommercials,mostfamouslyforOldsmobile,andlateron,Jeep.
HealsoprovidedvoiceoverforArby'sRestaurantcommercialsonTVandRadiotopromotetheir'MarketFresh'
menu.
HisvoicecanalsobeheardinApple'sfirstiBookcommercial.
HemadethreeguestappearancesonthecomedydramaTVseriesAllyMcBeal,ashismusicwasoftenfeaturedon
theshowindreamsequences.

Illnessanddeath
Whitewasoverweightformostofhisadultlifeweighing375pounds(170kg)accordingtoCaseyKasemand
sufferedfromrelatedhealthproblems.InOctober1995,hewasadmittedtoahospitalasaresultofhighblood
pressure.InAugust1999,Whitewasforcedtocancelapproximatelyamonth'sworthoftourdatesowingto
exhaustion,highbloodpressure,andahecticschedule.InSeptember2002,hewashospitalizedwithkidneyfailure
attributedtochronicdiabetesmellitusandhighbloodpressure.
WhileundergoingdialysisandawaitingakidneytransplantinMay2003,hesufferedaseverestroke,whichforced
himtoretirefrompubliclife.Ataround9:30a.m.(PDT)onJuly4,2003,29yearstothedaythathemarried
Glodean,WhitediedatCedarsSinaiMedicalCenterinLosAngelesattheageof58.[13]Hisremainswere
cremated,andtheasheswerescatteredbyhisfamilyofftheCaliforniacoast.[14]

Tributes
OnSeptember20,2004,hewasposthumouslyinductedintotheDanceMusicHallofFameataceremonyheldin
NewYork.OnSeptember12,2013,whichwouldhavebeenWhite's69thbirthday,hewasposthumouslyawarded
the2,506thstarontheHollywoodWalkofFameat6914HollywoodBlvd.inthecategoryofrecording.[15]The
showCountingCarspaidtributetoWhitebyrestoringthelastcarheownedforhiswidow,Glodean.
InanobituaryaffectionatelyreferringtoWhitebyhisfamiliarnickname,'TheWalrusofLove,'theBBCrecalled
"therichtimbresofoneofthemostdistinctivesoulvoicesofhisgeneration,aboutwhichitwasoncesaid:'If
chocolatefudgecakecouldsing,itwouldsoundlikeBarryWhite.'".[16]

Discography
References
1.Smith,Steve(September20,2013)."BarryWhiteGets
WalkofFameStar".SanGabrielValleyTribune.
Retrieved20140106.
2.BobbyBennettandSarahSmith,TheUltimateSoul
MusicTriviaBook:501QuestionsandAnswersabout
Motown,Rhythm&Blues,andMore,Secaucus,NJ:
CarolPub.Group,c.1998.
3.Hogan,Ed."BarryWhite."(http://www.allmusic.com/a
rtist/barrywhitemn0000149044/biography)
www.allmusic.com.RetrievedJanuary16,2016.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_White

4.White,Barry."TelephoneinterviewwithLarryKatz."
(http://thekatztapes.com/barrywhite/)June1or2,
1995.TheKatzTapes.RetrievedJune4,2015.
5.Nelson,ValerieJ."'HarlemShuffle'cowriterwaspart
ofthesoulduoBob&Earl."(http://articles.latimes.co
m/2008/jul/25/local/menelson25)LosAngelesTimes,
July25,2008.RetrievedJanuary16,2016.
6."Obituary:BarryWhite".BBCNews.July4,2003.
7.IvorCaseyBlog(http://ivorcasey.blogspot.com)
8.BarryWhitewithMarcEliot,LoveUnlimited,New
York:BroadwayBooks,1999,p.22.

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9.Old,Pete."BarryWhiteDiscography".BarryWhite
UnlimitedFanClub.RetrievedMarch16,2012.
10."Doin'TheBananaSplit"atDiscogs.com(http://www.d
iscogs.com/BananaSplitsDoinTheBananaSplit/relea
se/562111).RetrievedFebruary16,2013
11.StayingPowerBarryWhite|Awards|AllMusic(htt
p://www.allmusic.com/album/stayingpowermw000024
2946/awards)
12."BarryWhite",FilmBug.(http://www.filmbug.com/db/
344905)
13."SingerBarryWhitedies"(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/e
ntertainment/3046650.stm),BBC,July5,2003.

14."BarryWhite(19442003)FindAGraveMemorial".
Findagrave.com.Retrieved20120326.
15.AndrewBarker,"BarryWhitetoReceiveStaronthe
HollywoodWalkofFame",Variety,12September2013
(http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/barrywhitetoreceive
staronthehollywoodwalkoffame1200608284/).
RetrievedFebruary4,2014
16."Obituary:BarryWhite",BBC,4July2003(http://new
s.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2386227.stm/)Retrieved
April24,2016

Externallinks
BarryWhite(http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5815)atAllMusic
BarryWhite(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924489/)atthe
InternetMovieDatabase

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoBarry
White.

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barry_White&oldid=744125609"
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