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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 1-25 of 69 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BRC-72595 10-in. 5/18/1932 With my sweetie in the moonlight (Under dreamy southern skies) California Cavaliers ; Buddy Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BRC-72597 10-in. 5/18/1932 Ask yourself who loves you (Tell yourself it's me) California Cavaliers ; Buddy Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-82306 10-in. 4/12/1934 Butterfingers Vincent Lopez ; Lou Rapp ; St. Regis Hotel Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-82307 10-in. 4/12/1934 Somebody cares for you Vincent Lopez ; Lou Rapp ; St. Regis Hotel Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-058236 10-in. 12/6/1940 It all comes back to me now Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-058237 10-in. 12/6/1940 America, I love you Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-058265 10-in. 12/17/1940 Dear old pal of mine Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-058266 10-in. 12/17/1940 Magic mountain Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060367 10-in. 1/23/1941 You stepped out of a dream Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060368 10-in. 1/23/1941 I, yi, yi, yi, yi (I like you very much) Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060369 10-in. 1/23/1941 Boa noite Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060370 10-in. 1/23/1941 Too beautiful to last Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060675 10-in. 2/20/1941 A little old church in England Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-060676 10-in. 2/20/1941 Because I love you Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-062759 10-in. 3/14/1941 Talking to the wind Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-062760 10-in. 3/14/1941 The things I love Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-063815 10-in. 4/24/1941 An old corral in heaven Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-063816 10-in. 4/24/1941 Wanderlust Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-063817 10-in. 4/24/1941 Tell me pretty maiden The King Sisters ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-063818 10-in. 4/24/1941 Bless 'em all King Sisters, The ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-065687 10-in. 6/9/1941 Arms for the love of America Leonard W. Joy ; Lyn Murray Singers ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-065688 10-in. 6/9/1941 Any bonds today? Leonard W. Joy ; Lyn Murray Singers ; Barry Wood Male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-066187 10-in. 7/7/1941 City called heaven Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-066188 10-in. 7/7/1941 The cowboy serenade Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor BS-066189 10-in. 7/7/1941 Call it anything, it's love Barry Wood Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 1-25 of 69 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wood, Barry," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

Wood, Barry. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113230.

"Wood, Barry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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