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Barry Wood

Barry Wood (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.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Wood was the younger brother of bandleader Barney Rapp. He attended Yale (where he swam and played water polo). He was a sideman for Buddy Rogers's band. 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).

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". 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. 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.

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."

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. In 1948, his quarter-hour radio program, Barry Wood Show, was syndicated by Frederick Ziv via electrical transcription.

He later became a television producer. His producing credits included Kate Smith's show, Wide Wide World, and The Bell Telephone Hour. He died in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1970.

In 1948-1949, Wood hosted and produced Places Please, a three-nights-a-week variety TV show on CBS.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 12, 1909 (New Haven), Died July 19, 1970

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1932 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal

Notes: Sometimes listed as Louis Rapp (original name) or Lou Rapp.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 69 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-066190 10-in. 7/7/1941 Harbor of dreams Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067503 10-in. 7/29/1941 When the crazy world is sane again Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067504 10-in. 7/29/1941 Oh! How I hate to get up in the morning Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor CS-067662 12-in. 8/21/1941 Arms for the love of America Al Goodman Orchestra ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and 2 announcers, with mixed vocal ensemble and orchestra. vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor CS-067664 12-in. 8/21/1941 Unknown title(s) Barry Wood vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067665 10-in. 8/21/1941 Oot to beat the promise [sic] Barry Wood vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067921 10-in. 9/23/1941 The magic of magnolias Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067922 10-in. 9/23/1941 A pretty co-ed has gone to my head Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067923 10-in. 9/23/1941 Mine Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-067924 10-in. 9/23/1941 Si, si, some more Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068057 10-in. 10/29/1941 This is no laughing matter Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068058 10-in. 10/29/1941 It's raining memories Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068059 10-in. 10/29/1941 I wonder who's kissing her now Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068060 10-in. 10/29/1941 Madelaine Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068310 10-in. 11/14/1941 Angels of mercy Lyn Murray Singers ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068311 10-in. 11/14/1941 One for all—all for one Lyn Murray Singers ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068312 10-in. 11/14/1941 Who calls? Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068313 10-in. 11/14/1941 We're the couple in the castle Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068758 10-in. 12/29/1941 Let's say goodnight with a dance Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068759 10-in. 12/29/1941 Pretty little busy-body Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068760 10-in. 12/29/1941 Sometimes Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068761 10-in. 12/29/1941 We did it before (And we can do it again) Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068848 10-in. 1/11/1942 The president's birthday ball Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-068849 10-in. 1/11/1942 I paid my income tax today Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-071761 10-in. 2/2/1942 Cocktails for two Mark Warnow Orchestra ; Barry Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 26-50 of 69 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wood, Barry," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

Wood, Barry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

"Wood, Barry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230

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