His deep, dark timbre has accompanied a disproportionate number of one-on-one dances and it’s a bet that thousands of couples have formed on the wave of his persuasive notes. Assuming that these statements are the result of pure fantasy or a romantic attempt to attribute powers to music that are perhaps foreign to it, one thing is certain: when one of her pieces began to spread through the air, it only took a few seconds to immediately understand whose was that velvety and a little disturbing voice coming out of the speakers.
Barry White. Barrence Eugene Carter, the good giant, the cyclops singer of love in its most exciting and intriguing aspects (with a good sprinkle of eros), was born on September 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas and inspired by Elvis Presley of “It’s now or never” just over 18 years of age, he convinced himself to join a soul group called “The Upfronts” as bass guitarist, recording six singles in a short time.
Later Barry White discovered a female trio, “Love Unlimited”, in which he played what would become his second wife, Glodean James (his girlfriend since school, he had four children before separating in 1969), and produced their 1972 hit “Walkin’ in the rain with the one I love”, which sold a million copies. In fact, few people know that the black artist has always had a rich production activity, a work behind the scenes that he shared with his passion for singing and solo performance.
After the success of the trio, he produced the following year he embarked on a solo adventure, churning out the instrumental “Love’s Theme”, to which, according to the most accredited critics, is due to the merit of having inaugurated the era of disco music. In 1974 he brings the album “Can’t get enough” to the top of the charts. Between one hour and the other with Glodean, he not only made a record in 1981 but he gave birth to four more children (eight of them), divorcing them in 1988.
The Eighties were a period of relative darkness; only in 1994 Barry White’s “Practise what you preach” saw him at the top of the charts again after almost seventeen years of absence. One episode is significant in this regard: although his popularity was at its peak during the ’70s, the singer received the first of his two “Grammys” in 2000, for the absolute best male and R&Btraditional performance thanks to the recent “Staying power”.
On July 4, 2003, at the age of 58, the singer, who was suffering from kidney problems caused by high blood pressure, died on July 4, 2003, leaving fans astonished who considered his very special voice as something innate to the music itself and therefore incorruptible. However, I’m left with the many “hits” that Barry White has produced over his 30-year career, including “Can’t get enough of your love, baby”, “You’re the first, the last, my everything”, “Practise what you preach” and “It’s ecstasy when you lay down next to me”.
All excellent viaticals that the singer, “great to end up in the bedroom” (as he was labeled by some perfidious critic), left as a legacy for future loves or next to hot stories of passion.
Discography
1973 I’ve Got So Much to Give
1973 Stone Gon’
1974 Can’t Get Enough
1975 Just Another Way to Say I Love You
1976 Let the Music Play
1976 Is This Whatcha Wont?
1977 Barry White Sings for Someone You Love
1978 The Man
1979 I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing
1979 The Message Is Love
1980 Sheet Music
1981 Barry & Glodean
1981 Beware!
1982 Change
1983 Dedicated
1987 The Right Night & Barry White
1989 The Man Is Back!
1991 Put Me in Your Mix
1994 The Icon Is Love
1999 Staying Power
