(September 3, 2013) The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the late Barry White will be honored posthumously with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 12, at 11:30 a.m. “People can’t get enough of Barry White’s music and even though he passed away many years ago, his songs will live on in the hearts of many,” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies. “We are honored to have Barry White, his legendary voice and timeless songs immortalized on the Walk of Fame.”
Emcee Leron Gubler, President & CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and guest speakers wife Glodean White and Berry Gordy will help unveil the star at 6914 Hollywood Boulevard across the street from the Dolby Theatre in the category of Recording. The star ceremony will be streamed live exclusively on www.walkoffame.com.
Say the name “Barry White” and you’d be hard-pressed to follow it with the name of any other recording artist with such a huge cross-sectional following. Barry White was an American record producer and singer-songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award-winner known for his rich bass voice and romantic image, White’s greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with his Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring hit soul, funk, pop and disco songs–one of which is the world-renown classic “Love’s Theme.” Worldwide, White had many gold and platinum albums and singles, with combined sales of more than 100 million. “I’ve Got So Much to Give,” his self-produced debut album was released in 1973 on the 20th Century label. The album was an immediate success, becoming the first of four consecutive White albums to top the R&B and POP charts. It included the title track and his first solo chart hit, “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby.” which also rose to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts as well as No. 3 on the Billboard Pop charts in 1973. Barry White’s All-Time Greatest Hits collects 20 of the two-time GRAMMY winner’s essential songs, including “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” and “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe.”Other chart hits by White included “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” (No. 2 R&B, No. 7 Pop in 1973), “What Am I Gonna Do with You” (No. 1 R&B, No. 8 Pop in 1975), “Let the Music Play” (No. 4 R&B in 1976), “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” (No. 1 R&B, No. 4 Pop in 1977) and “Your Sweetness is My Weakness” (No. 2 R&B in 1978).
In 1972 White created The Love Unlimited Orchestra, a 40-piece orchestral group to be used originally as a backing band for the girl-group Love Unlimited. However, White had other plans, and in 1974 he released an album of their music titled “Rhapsody in White,” yielding the now-timeless composition “Love’s Theme,” reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Pop charts. White was the only artist to have a No. 1 instrumental single and two No. 1 vocal hit singles (“Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” and “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything”) on the charts in the same year.
In the 80s, White signed with A&M Records, and with the release of 1987’s “The Right Night & Barry White,” the single titled :Sho’ You Right” made it to the Billboard R&B charts, at No. 17 U.S. and No. 9 UK. In 1989 he released “The Man Is Back!” and with it had three top 40 singles on the Billboard R&B charts.
He returned to the top of the charts in 1991 with the album “Put Me In Your Mix,” which reached No. 8 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and the song by the same name reached No. 2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.
In 1994, White released the album “The Icon Is Love” which went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B album charts, and the single “Practice What You Preach” gave him his first No. 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in almost twenty years, and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Album category.
His final album, 1999’s “Staying Power,” resulted in his last hit song “Staying Power.” The single won him two Grammy Awards in the categories Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
Barry made several appearances on the Ally McBeal TV Show as the alter ego of one of the show’s characters. His voice and character was featured in The Simpsons TV series and the Cookie Monster once portrayed himself as Barry White with the “Crumbs Unlimited Orchestra” on Sesame Street.
White’s music can be heard in major motion pictures every year to this day, numerous commercials (the Pillsbury Doughboy referred to himself as the other Mr. White in a spot featuring one of Barry’s songs) and new songs by today’s contemporary artists like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Robbie Roberts, Usher, P. Diddy, and countless others using samples of his music.
Sadly, White died of heart and kidney failure in 2003.
For more information and to view who shares a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, visit www.walkoffame.com
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