Glenn Barber

Glenn Barber (born February 2, 1935 in Hollis , Oklahoma as Martin Glenn Baker , † March 28, 2008 in Gallatin , Tennessee ) was an American country and rockabilly musician who started his career in the early 1950s and in had a few hits in the 1970s.

Life

Motor Mouth Harry , 1969

I Don't Want No More of the Cheese , 1969

Childhood and youth

Shortly after his birth, the Barbers family moved to Pasadena , Texas , where he also grew up. He has been playing guitar since he was six years old , but later also learned bass , mandolin , dobro and drums . Influenced by rural country music, he made his first contacts with the local music scene in Pasadena. While in high school, Barber had his first band, with which he won local talent competitions.

Career

In 1951, at the age of 16, he made his debut as a musician with the small Stampede label. In 1953 he played a few unreleased tracks for Trumpet Records , and in 1954 he switched to Starday . His first single there, Ice Water , was a country boogie song. Over the next few years, Barber released numerous singles on Starday, most of them in country or rockabilly style, including 1956 Shadow My Baby , which was recorded with Link Davis on saxophone . After his time at Starday, Barber went to Pappy Daileys D Records , where he stayed until 1960. In 1963 he had his first chart placement on the Sims Records with the song How Can I Forget You . The title reached the Top 50 on the Billboard Country Charts . In 1964, his single Stronger Than Dirt reached number 27 in the country charts. During the 1960s Barber was with his band, the Western Swingmasters , presenter and singer on the radio station KIKK in Houston . He appeared on the radio five times a week until he moved to Nashville in 1968 and signed a contract with Hickory Records .

His first hickory single was instantly in the top 30 of the Billboard Country Charts and in the following years Barber had with Kissed by the Rain, Warmerd by the Sun (1969), Yes Dear, There Is A Virginia (1971) and Unexpected Love (1972) other hits. His song She Cheats in Me was later successfully recorded by Roy Orbison . Overall, Barber had numerous chart positions in the top 30. In the 1980s and 1990s, Barber devoted himself to other interests, especially art, but continued to appear.

Glenn Barber died on March 28, 2008 at his home in Gallatin, Tennessee. He was posthumously inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame .

Discography

Albums

• 1970: A New Star
• 1972: The Best Of Glenn Barber
• 1974: Glenn Barber
• 1979: Warm All Over Feelin '
• 1983: First Love Feelings
• 1984: Saturday's Heroes Are Gone
• 1984: The Most Wanted Man From Tennessee
• 2000: Close But Not Cigar

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		Country
1963	How Can I Forget You	Country48 (2 weeks) Country	Sims B-Side: Rain Check
1964	Stronger Than Dirt	Country27 (9 weeks) Country	Starday B-Side: If Anyone Can Show Cause
	If Anyone Can Show Cause	Country42 (7 weeks) Country	B-side of Stronger Than Dirt
1968	Don't Worry 'Bout the Mule New Star	Country41 (8 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: Reflex Action
1969	Kissed By the Rain, Warmed By the Sun New Star	Country24 (11 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: My World Is Square
	She Cheats on Me New Star	Country28 (11 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: Who's Taking the Picture
1970	Poison Red Berries The Best of Glenn Barber	Country72 (2 weeks) Country	Hickory 45-K-1568 B-side: Abilene
1971	Yes Dear, There Is a Virginia The Best of Glenn Barber	Country75 (2 weeks) Country	Hickory B-Side: I'm Only Company
1972	I'm the Man on Susie's Mind The Best of Glenn Barber	Country28 (12 weeks) Country	Hickory 45-K-16265 B-Side: Satan's Painted Woman
	Unexpected Goodbye The Best of Glenn Barber	Country23 (12 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: Blue Bayou
	Yes Ma'am The Best of Glenn Barber	Country67 (4 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: Who In the World
1973	Country girl Glenn Barber	Country61 (8 weeks) Country	Hickory B-side: Watching You Go
	Daddy Number Two Glenn Barber	Country45 (11 weeks) Country	Hickory B-Side: We Let That Lovely Flame Die
1974	You Only Live Once (a While) Glenn Barber	Country65 (7 weeks) Country	Hickory 45-K-16265 B-side: Sweet On My Mind
1977	(You Better Be) One Hell of A Woman	Country79 (6 weeks) Country	Hickory B-Side: Is Another Man's Woman Worth Another Man's Life
1978	Cry, cry darling	Country67 (6 weeks) Country	Groovy B-Side: Has It Been So Long
	What's the Name of That Song?	Country30 (10 weeks) Country	Groovy B-side: I Can't Find a Way
1979	Love Songs Just for You	Country27 (10 weeks) Country	Century B-side: Go Home Little Girl
	Everybody Wants to Disco	Country76 (2 weeks) Country	Century B-side: Most Wanted Man in Tennessee
	Woman's touch	Country70 (4 weeks) Country	MMI B-side: Most Wanted Man in Tennessee
1981	First love feelings	Country74 (5 weeks) Country	Sunset Sunbird B-Side: What's the Name of That Song

More singles

• 1951: Ring Around My Moon / You Took The Twinkle Out Of My Stars (Stampede)
• 1954: Styles And Ways Of The World / Stolen Dreams (Hallmark)
• 1954: Ice Water / Ring Around the Moon (Starday)
• 1955: Married Man / Poor Man's Baby (Starday)
• 1955: Living High and Wide / Ain't It Funny (Starday)
• 1956: Shadow My Baby / Feeling No Pain (Starday)
• 1958: Hello Sadness / Same Old Fool Tomorrow (D)
• 1959: Your Heart Don't Love / Most Beautiful (D)
• 1959: Go Home Letter / New Girl in School (D)
• 1960: The Window / Another You (D)
• 1961: Night Without End / Most Beautiful (United Artists)
• 1962: I Can't Stop / Two Little Heart (United Artists)
• 1962: You Can't Get There From Here / April Fool (Skill)
• 1964: Dancing Shoes / Knock Knock (Starday)
• 1965: Loneliest Man in Town / She's Out of My World (Starday)
• 1965: Happy Birthday Broken Heart / Let's Take the Fear (Starday)
• 1966: We'l Take Our Last Walk Tonight / Most Beautiful (Pic)
• 1966: Cheatin '/ Go Home Letter (Pic)
• 1966: I Created A Moster / Love Rules The Heart (Pic)
• 1968: Go Home Letter / Who Made You What You Are (Hickory)
• 1969: Motor Mouth Harry / I Don't Want No More of the Cheese (Hickory)
• 1969: Gonna Make Mama Proud of Me / You Can't Get There From Here (Hickory)
• 1970: Al / Where There's Smoke (Hickory)
• 1971: I Committed the Crime / Six Years and a Day (Hickory)
• 1971: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain / The World You Live In (Hickory)
• 1971: Betty Ann / Fat Albert (Hickory)
• 1973: It's a Beautiful Thing / That's How a Coward Tells an Angel Goodbye (Hickory)
• 1974: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain / Almost (Hickory)
• 1974: Sweet On My Mind / You're Getting Heavy On My Mind (Hickory)
• 1975: She's No Ordinary Woman / We've Got It All Together This Time (Hickory)
• 1976: It Took a Drunk / If I Thought For One Moment (Casino)

Remarks

1. ↑ Catalog number Starday 676; see Whitburn, Joel: The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits 1944-2006 . New York: Billboard Books, 2006, p. 39
2. ↑ Chart sources: US

literature

• Erlewine, Michael u. a. (Ed.): All Music Guide to Country Music. The experts guide to the best recordings in country music . San Francisco, Cal .: Miller Freeman Books, 1997, p. 29

Web links

• Glenn Barber at Allmusic (English)
• Discography with audio samples
• News of death on hillbilly-music.com
• Discography on discogs
• Single listing on 45cat.com
• Session listing with release and re-issue information
• scanned original single labels and release dates