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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 51-69 of 69 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-071764 10-in. 2/2/1942 I don't want to set the world on fire Hit Paraders ; Mark Warnow Orchestra ; Barry Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-071783 10-in. 2/9/1942 These foolish things remind me of you Benny Carter ; Mark Warnow Orchestra ; Barry Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and saxophone solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-071784 10-in. 2/9/1942 Ti-pi-tin Joan Edwards ; Hit Paraders ; Mark Warnow Orchestra ; Barry Wood Jazz/dance band, with female vocalist, male vocalist, and mixed vocal ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-073828 10-in. 4/10/1942 When the red, red, robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-073829 10-in. 4/10/1942 Put-put-put (Your arms around me) Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-073830 10-in. 4/10/1942 Don't tell a lie about me, dear Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-073831 10-in. 4/10/1942 Johnny Doughboy found a rose in Ireland Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075255 10-in. 6/4/1942 South wind Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with female vocal quartet and jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075256 10-in. 6/4/1942 Jingle, jangle, jingle Wood-Nymphs ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with female vocal quartet and jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075443 10-in. 7/22/1942 I'm getting tired so I can sleep Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075444 10-in. 7/22/1942 Why don't you fall in love with me (As long as you're not in love with anyone else) Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075635 10-in. 10/13/1942 Ev'rybody ev'ry payday Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and mixed vocal ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-075636 10-in. 10/13/1942 March for the new infantry Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and male vocal octet vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia W152451 10-in. 7/26/1933 Blue roses Paul Ash ; Pabst Blue Ribbon Casino Orchestra ; Lou Rapp Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia W152452 10-in. 7/26/1933 Free Paul Ash ; Pabst Blue Ribbon Casino Orchestra ; Lou Rapp Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca 61928 10-in. 4/12/1937 A love song of long ago Abe Lyman Orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca 61929 10-in. 4/12/1937 Seventh heaven Abe Lyman Orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca 61930 10-in. 4/12/1937 The moon is in the sky Abe Lyman Orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca 61931 10-in. 4/12/1937 On a little dream ranch Abe Lyman Orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 51-69 of 69 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wood, Barry," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

Wood, Barry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

"Wood, Barry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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