Barry White died today at 58

GRITS · #1 07-04-2003, 05:49 PM

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Velvet-voiced R&B crooner Barry White, renowned for his lush baritone and carnal lyrics that oozed sex appeal on songs such as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," died Friday morning, his manager said.

White, who had suffered kidney failure from years of high blood pressure, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center around 9:30 a.m., said manager Ned Shankman. He was 58.

White had been undergoing dialysis treatment and had been hospitalized since last September.

His work epitomized seductive disco music, also known as "make out" music. The heavyset musician enjoyed three decades of fame for songs like "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" and "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me."

White's canyon-deep, butter-smooth vocals and throbbing musical tempos emphasized his songs' sexually charged verbal foreplay. His 1975 song "Love Serenade" began with the purring, first-person lyrics: "I want you the way you came into the world/ I don't want to feel no clothes ..."

Although his popularity peaked in the 1970s, White received belated recognition for his work in 2000 when he won his first two Grammys for best male and traditional R&B vocal performance for the song "Staying Power."

Born Sept. 12, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, to a single mother, White and his younger brother, Darryl, spent most of their childhood in South Central Los Angeles. He said he had a lifelong love for music. During his early teenage years, he began singing in a Baptist church choir and was quickly promoted to director.

In 1990, White told Ebony magazine that his voice changed overnight from the squeaky tones of a preadolescent to the rumbling bass that made him famous.

"It scared me and my mother when I spoke that morning," he said. "It was totally unexpected. My chest rattled. I mean vibrations. My mother was staring at me, and I was staring at her. The next thing I new, her straight face broke into a beautiful smile. Tears came down her face and she said, 'My son's a man now."'

He was jailed at age 16 for stealing tires, a punishment he credited with helping him straighten out his life and dedicate his efforts to music.

Inspired by the Elvis Presley song "It's Now or Never," White joined the Upfronts soul group as bass singer and cut six singles. For several years, he stayed away from performing and focused on work behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer.

He married a childhood sweetheart, identified only as Mary in his autobiography, and fathered four children with her before they separated in 1969 and later divorced.

White discovered the female trio Love Unlimited -- which included his future second wife, Glodean James -- and produced their million-selling 1972 single "Walkin' in the Rain With the One I Love."

The next year, White returned to performing with the song "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby," which topped the R&B chart and hit No. 3 on the pop chart.

He is credited by some for helping launch the disco phenomenon with his orchestral "Love's Theme" in 1973, which he conducted with his group, The Love Unlimited Orchestra.

In 1974, his album "Can't Get Enough" climbed to the top of the pop charts on the strength of the signature hits "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything."

That year he also married James. The couple had four children together and collaborated on the 1981 album "Barry & Glodean," which featured the songs "I Want You" and "You're the Only One for Me." They divorced in 1988, but he said they always remained good friends.

White suffered a family tragedy in 1983 when his brother, Darryl, was shot and killed in a dispute with a neighbor over change from a $20 bill. In his 1999 autobiography, "Love Unlimited: Insights on Life and Love," Barry White said music likely spared him a similar fate.

After working on more than a dozen albums in the 1970s, his career waned over the next decade as he attempted small comebacks with the albums "The Right Night & Barry White" (1987) and "The Man is Back!" (1989.)

He enjoyed a larger resurgence with 1994 album "The Icon Is Love," and his ballad "Practice What You Preach" became his first No. 1 hit in 17 years. Toward the end of the 1990s, his songs were regularly featured on the Fox comedy series "Ally McBeal" and he made an appearance on the show as himself.

His single "Staying Power," off a 1999 album of the same name, won White two Grammys and proved he hadn't tamed his libidinous lyrics. "Put on my favorite dress, the one that oozes sexiness," he cooed in the title track's opening lines.

That year White's chronic blood pressure problem forced him to cancel several live performances with the group Earth, Wind & Fire and he was briefly hospitalized.

White's survivors include eight children, grandchildren, and his companion Catherine Denton.

Honeykiss1974 · #2 07-04-2003, 06:00 PM

NO!!!!

First Luther and now this......

RedefinedDiva · #3 07-04-2003, 06:20 PM

Man, that is tragic!

LADY_1908 · #4 07-04-2003, 08:00 PM

I was so saddened to hear this. I grew up listening to his music.

LawyerGal2003 · #5 07-04-2003, 09:24 PM

This is so sad!!

Queencece · #6 07-04-2003, 09:24 PM

This is so sad.

I remember a song called Slow Jams that he did with Tamia and Babyface. That was my favorite song. Practice what you preach was the bomb too.

I cant believe that hes gone. I will pray for his family.

Peace
Q

Jill1228 · #7 07-05-2003, 03:03 AM

I am devastated over this

I too LOVED practice what you preach

They recently featured his daughter on TLC's "A Baby Story"

CountryGurl · #8 07-05-2003, 10:17 AM

I'm really sad to hear about this. Since I 've heard about his death I can't get the song "Secret Garden" out of my head. My prayers are with his family and friends.

Im_just_me · #9 07-05-2003, 07:13 PM

I saw the breaking news on BET last night and my fiance' and I sat in shock as we watched them talk about Barry White's death.

This is not only a shock for the African-American community but for everyone who was touched by his music. He will be truly missed...

thesweetestone · #10 07-05-2003, 08:26 PM

FeeFee · #11 07-07-2003, 10:45 AM

I heard about Mr. White's passing while watching the news at my Grandma's house. So sad to lose a musical icon like him.

kiml122 · #12 07-08-2003, 09:16 AM

I was at a BBQ on the 4th when it was announced on the radio. The local station did an hour of Barry White songs, and I still can't believe that an Icon is gone. My favorite Barry White song is Ecstacy, I was young when this song came out, and my pop would ask me all the time what in the hell did I know about some damn Ecstacy, well my response was I didn't know nothing, but the song was bangin.

txdiva · #13 07-08-2003, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiml122
I was at a BBQ on the 4th when it was announced on the radio. The local station did an hour of Barry White songs, and I still can't believe that an Icon is gone. My favorite Barry White song is Ecstacy, I was young when this song came out, and my pop woudl ask me all the time what in the hell did I know about some damn Ecstacy, well my response was I didn't know nothing, but the song was bangin.

That's my favorite Barry White song, too! I can't believe one of our original "velvet teddy bears" is gone! I'm still in shock.

treblk · #14 07-08-2003, 10:25 AM

I bought the Barry White music box set and been playing all weekend long. Even brought it to work.

He will be missed

AKA2D '91 · #15 07-08-2003, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Queencece
This is so sad.

I remember a song called Slow Jams that he did with Tamia and Babyface. That was my favorite song. Practice what you preach was the bomb too.

I cant believe that hes gone. I will pray for his family.

Peace
Q

The news was shocking!

Do you remember that ORIGINALLY, Tamia didn't sing this song? The lead singer from SWV sang the song on the CD. I'm sorry, I forgot her name. When the song was released, Tamia's voice was heard. I don't know what happened.