Barry Wood[1] (February 12, 1909 - July 19, 1970) was an American singer and television producer. He is best known for being Frank Sinatra's immediate predecessor as the lead male vocalist on the long running NBCradio programYour Hit Parade.[2]
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Wood was the younger brother of bandleader Barney Rapp.[3] He attended Yale (where he swam and played water polo).[4] He was a sideman for Buddy Rogers's band.[5] He left Rogers to become a singer, and he eventually signed on at Your Hit Parade, where he maintained his popularity for several years and was promoted as the nation's "sweater boy" (a counterpart to the sweater girl pin-ups popular in the World War II era).[4]
Wood was identified with several popular wartime songs. In 1941 he introduced and recorded Irving Berlin's "Any Bonds Today?" and "Arms for the Love of America".[4] In 1942, recording as Barry Wood and the Wood Nymphs, he had a hit with "We Did It Before (And We Can Do It Again)", written by Charles Tobias and Cliff Friend; this song became a popular wartime anthem, and was later used in a number of Warner Bros.Looney Tunes cartoons.[6] Another notable song he recorded for a war bond drive was called "Ev'rybody Ev'ry Payday", written by Tom Adair and Dick Uhl, and heavily promoted by the radio division of the United States Treasury to encourage workers to purchase bonds through payroll deductions.[7][8]
According to music criticWill Friedwald, Wood had "an interesting voice, gray and appropriately woody", and a "sort of robust charm", but "his super-stiff rhythm makes him tough to listen to today."[2]
Sinatra replaced Wood on Your Hit Parade in 1943. Wood had his own show on NBC from 1943 to 1945, first called The Million Dollar Band and then (with Patsy Kelly as co-star) the Palmolive Party.[9] In 1948, his quarter-hour radio program, Barry Wood Show, was syndicated by Frederick Ziv via electrical transcription.[10]
In 1948-1949, Wood hosted and produced Places Please, a three-nights-a-week variety TV show on CBS.[13]
Referencesedit
^According to a 1941 article in Time magazine, his birth name was "Lou Rapaport". , Time, June 23, 1941. Note, however, that his brother Barney Rapp's birthname is generally given with the spelling "Rappaport".
^M. Paul Holsinger, War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia (Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999), ISBN978-0-313-29908-7, p.329 (excerpt available at Google Books).
^Kathleen E.R. Smith, God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War (University Press of Kentucky, 2003), ISBN978-0-8131-2256-4, p.45 (excerpt available at Google Books).
^Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 459–460. ISBN978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
^"Ziv ad" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 17, 1948. p. 15. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
^Hyatt, Wesley (6 January 2003). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 6–7. ISBN978-0-7864-1420-8. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
barry, wood, singer, other, people, named, barry, wood, barry, wood, disambiguation, barry, wood, february, 1909, july, 1970, american, singer, television, producer, best, known, being, frank, sinatra, immediate, predecessor, lead, male, vocalist, long, runnin. For other people named Barry Wood see Barry Wood disambiguation Barry Wood 1 February 12 1909 July 19 1970 was an American singer and television producer He is best known for being Frank Sinatra s immediate predecessor as the lead male vocalist on the long running NBC radio program Your Hit Parade 2 Barry WoodBornLouis Rappaport 1909 02 12 February 12 1909New Haven Connecticut U S DiedJuly 19 1970 1970 07 19 aged 61 Miami Beach Florida U S Alma materYale UniversityRelativesBarney Rapp brother Born in New Haven Connecticut Wood was the younger brother of bandleader Barney Rapp 3 He attended Yale where he swam and played water polo 4 He was a sideman for Buddy Rogers s band 5 He left Rogers to become a singer and he eventually signed on at Your Hit Parade where he maintained his popularity for several years and was promoted as the nation s sweater boy a counterpart to the sweater girl pin ups popular in the World War II era 4 Wood was identified with several popular wartime songs In 1941 he introduced and recorded Irving Berlin s Any Bonds Today and Arms for the Love of America 4 In 1942 recording as Barry Wood and the Wood Nymphs he had a hit with We Did It Before And We Can Do It Again written by Charles Tobias and Cliff Friend this song became a popular wartime anthem and was later used in a number of Warner Bros Looney Tunes cartoons 6 Another notable song he recorded for a war bond drive was called Ev rybody Ev ry Payday written by Tom Adair and Dick Uhl and heavily promoted by the radio division of the United States Treasury to encourage workers to purchase bonds through payroll deductions 7 8 According to music critic Will Friedwald Wood had an interesting voice gray and appropriately woody and a sort of robust charm but his super stiff rhythm makes him tough to listen to today 2 Sinatra replaced Wood on Your Hit Parade in 1943 Wood had his own show on NBC from 1943 to 1945 first called The Million Dollar Band and then with Patsy Kelly as co star the Palmolive Party 9 In 1948 his quarter hour radio program Barry Wood Show was syndicated by Frederick Ziv via electrical transcription 10 He later became a television producer 3 His producing credits included Kate Smith s show Wide Wide World and The Bell Telephone Hour He died in Miami Beach Florida in 1970 11 12 In 1948 1949 Wood hosted and produced Places Please a three nights a week variety TV show on CBS 13 References edit According to a 1941 article in Time magazine his birth name was Lou Rapaport Berlin Washington Axis Time June 23 1941 Note however that his brother Barney Rapp s birthname is generally given with the spelling Rappaport a b Will Friedwald Sinatra The Song Is You A Singer s Art Da Capo Press 1997 ISBN 978 0 306 80742 8 pp 127 128 amp n 3 excerpt available at Google Books a b William F Lee American Big Bands Hal Leonard Corporation 2005 ISBN 978 0 634 08054 8 p 73 excerpt available at Google Books a b c Berlin Washington Axis Time June 23 1941 Lee p 122 excerpt available at Google Books M Paul Holsinger War and American Popular Culture A Historical Encyclopedia Greenwood Publishing Group 1999 ISBN 978 0 313 29908 7 p 329 excerpt available at Google Books Kathleen E R Smith God Bless America Tin Pan Alley Goes to War University Press of Kentucky 2003 ISBN 978 0 8131 2256 4 p 45 excerpt available at Google Books Billboard November 14 1942 p 62 Dunning John 1998 On the Air The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio Revised ed New York NY Oxford University Press pp 459 460 ISBN 978 0 19 507678 3 Retrieved 2019 11 24 Ziv ad PDF Broadcasting May 17 1948 p 15 Retrieved 7 December 2014 Birth of a Baby Time March 5 1956 Obituary for Barry Wood Time August 3 1970 Hyatt Wesley 6 January 2003 Short Lived Television Series 1948 1978 Thirty Years of More Than 1 000 Flops McFarland pp 6 7 ISBN 978 0 7864 1420 8 Retrieved November 19 2021 External links editBarry Wood at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Barry Wood singer amp oldid 1182534719, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
