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Barry White’s posters on a wall by indeciso42 –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Barry White

Barry Eugene Carter, better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with The Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring soul, funk, and disco songs such as his two biggest hits: Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe and You’re the First, the Last, My Everything.

White was born Barry Eugene Carter on September 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, United States.  He grew up in the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, California. White grew up listening to his mother’s classical music collection and first took to the piano, emulating what he heard on the records.  Read more about the Top 10 Most Famous Singers from Texas. 

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Barry White.

1. White started playing the piano, at the age of 11

White grew up listening to his mother’s classical music collection and first took to the piano, emulating what he heard on the records.

White has often been credited with playing the piano, at age 11, on Jesse Belvin’s 1956 hit single, Goodnight My Love. However, in a 1995 interview with the Boston Herald, White denied writing or arranging the song.

2. White recorded 20 studio albums during the course of his career

Barry White by Fotograaf Onbekend –

Barry White recorded 20 studio albums during the course of his career, but multiple versions and compilations were released worldwide that were certified gold, 41 of which also attained platinum status. 

White had 20 gold and 10 platinum singles, with worldwide record sales in excess of 100 million records, and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His influences included James Cleveland, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye.

3. White began his Music Career in the 1960s after leaving jail

White was jailed for four months at the age of 16 for stealing $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires. While in jail, he listened to Elvis Presley singing “It’s Now or Never” on the radio, an experience he later credited with changing the course of his life.

After his release from jail, White left gang life and began a musical career at the beginning of the 1960s in singing groups. He first released “Too Far to Turn Around” in 1960 as part of The Upfronts before working for various small independent labels in Los Angeles. He also recorded several singles under his own name in the early 1960s, backed by vocal groups the Atlantics and the Majestics.

4. White got his big break producing a girl group called Love Unlimited

Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love by Love Unlimited US single vinyl by Uni Records –

Formed in the imitative style of the Motown girl group The Supremes, the group members had gradually honed their talents with White for two years previously until they signed contracts with Uni Records. His friend Paul Politi introduced him to music industry businessman Larry Nunes, who helped to finance their album. The album, 1972’s From A Girl’s Point of View We Give to You, Love Unlimited, became the first of White’s string of long-titled albums and singles.

White produced, wrote and arranged their classic soul ballad Walkin in the Rain with the One I Love, which climbed to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop chart and No. 6 on the Billboard R&B chart in late 1972. It became White’s first million-selling single as a writer and producer. This single also reached No. 12 in the UK chart. White’s voice can clearly be heard in this piece as he plays the lover who answers the phone call of the female lead.

5. White started his solo career in 1970

At the beginning of the 1970s, White decided to work with a solo male artist. While working on a few demos for a male singer, he made three song demos of himself singing and playing, but Nunes heard them and insisted that he re-record and release them himself as a solo recording artist. 

After arguing for days about it, White was finally persuaded to release the songs himself, although he was initially reluctant to step out behind the microphone. He then wrote several other songs and recorded them for what eventually became an entire album of music. 

It eventually became White’s first solo album, 1973’s I’ve Got So Much to Give. It included the title track and his first solo chart hit, I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby, which also rose to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts as well as No. 3 on the Billboard Pop charts in 1973 and stayed in the top 40 for many weeks.

6. In 1973, White created The Love Unlimited Orchestra

Barry White on stage with The Love Unlimited Orchestra by Rob Mieremet –

The Love Unlimited Orchestra was a 40-piece string-laden orchestra formed by American singer Barry White, and serving as a backing unit for White and for female vocal trio Love Unlimited. In 1973 he released a single Love’s Theme, written by him and played by the orchestra, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Pop charts. 

Later, in 1974, he made the first album of the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Rhapsody in White, containing “Love’s Theme”. White would continue to make albums with the orchestra, achieving some successes such as: “Rhapsody in White”; “Satin Soul”; “Forever in Love”; “Midnight Groove”; “My Sweet Summer Suite”, a Remake of “Theme From King Kong”. The orchestra ceased to make albums in 1983 but continued to support White as a backing band.

7. White left 20th Century in 1979 to launch his own label, Unlimited Gold

After six years, White left 20th Century in 1979 to launch his own label, Unlimited Gold, with CBS/Columbia Records. Although his success on the pop charts slowed down as the disco era came to an end, he maintained a loyal following throughout his career. 

Despite several albums over the next three years, he failed to repeat his earlier successes, with no singles managing to reach the Billboard Hot 100, except for 1982’s Change, climbing into the Billboard R&B Top 20, at No. 12. His label venture was exacting a heavy financial cost on White, so he concentrated on mostly touring and finally folded his label in 1983.

8. White’s Practice What You Preach, gave him his first No. 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart

Barry White by Fotograaf Onbekend –

After participating in the song The Secret Garden Sweet Seduction Suite from Quincy Jones’s 1989 album Back on the Block, White mounted an effective comeback with several albums, each more successful than the one before. He returned to the top of the charts in 1991 with the album Put Me in Your Mix, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and the song by the same name reached No. 2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

In 1994, White released The Icon Is Love, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B album charts, and the single Practice What You Preach gave him his first No. 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in almost 20 years.

9. White’s The Icon Is Love album was nominated for a Grammy

In 1994, White released The Icon Is Love, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B album charts, and the single Practice What You Preach gave him his first No. 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in almost 20 years. 

The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Album category but lost to TLC’s CrazySexyCool.

10. White’s last hit song Staying Power, won him two Grammy Awards

In 1996, White recorded the duet In Your Wildest Dreams with Tina Turner. 1996 also saw the release of Space Jam and its soundtrack, on which White had a duet with Chris Rock, called “Basketball Jones”, a remake of Cheech & Chong’s “Basketball Jones” from 1973.

White’s final album, 1999’s Staying Power, resulted in his last hit song “Staying Power,” which placed No. 45 on the Billboard R&B charts. The single won him two Grammy Awards in the categories Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.