Is there any artist more associated with love than Barry White? Whether it is his solo work or his compositions performed by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, White has made himself the king of Valentine’s Day. With 20 gold and 10 platinum singles, White has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Born in Texas and growing up in L.A., White was given his mothers last name of Carter as his parents were not married, but later he changed it to his fathers name of White. White voice took on its trademark sound when he was 14, but he had no interest in singing until he heard Elvis Presley at 16. At that time, he was in jail serving a sentence for stealing $30,000 in Cadillac tires.
After his release, White pursued a career in music, recording and producing before being hired as an A&R man. His big break came in 1972 when he began working with a Supremes-like girl group, Love Unlimited. He wrote and produced their soul hit “Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love.” This led to the creation of a 40-piece backing group for the girls, the Love Unlimited Orchestra. 1974s “Love’s Theme” was a number 1 hit for the group.
After Whites success with Love Unlimited, he wanted to produce a male vocalist. He wrote some songs and recorded some demos himself to establish the style he was seeking. His record company encouraged White to step on stage and become the performer.
White recorded six top 10 singles in the ’70s and 12 that hit the top 10 on the R&B charts. While he was not back on the pop charts again except for once in 1994, he continued to succeed on the R&B charts through 1999. Barry White won two Grammys. Barry White died in 2003 of cardiac arrest. In its obituary for the musician, the BBC said that “the rich timbres of one of the most distinctive soul voices of his generation, about which it was once said: ‘If chocolate fudge cake could sing, it would sound like Barry White.’”
