Kathy Barr
Birth nameMarilyn Sultana Aboulafia
Born(1929-06-04)June 4, 1929
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 21, 2008(2008-06-21) (aged 79)
Hollywood, Florida
GenresPop, jazz, opera
Occupation(s)Vocalist
LabelsRCA Victor
Spouse(s)
Milton L. Schwartz
​
​
(m. 1954; ann. 1956)​
    Irwin H. Glickman
    ​
    (m. 1966)​

    Kathy Barr (born Marilyn Sultana Aboulafia; June 4, 1929 – June 21, 2008) was an American vocalist who performed and recorded popular, jazz, musical theater, and operettas. Her stage name was drawn from the first and married surname of her maternal grandmother, Katie Barr.[1]

    Biography

    Barr was born on June 4, 1929, in the Bronx, New York, to Ovadia "Ovid" Aboulafia (1900–1978), who, himself, was born in Çeşme, Turkey, and Eabeta "Tessie" Barr (1908–1978), a native New Yorker.

    Barr flourished from the 1950s through the mid-1960s in musical theater, nightclubs, television, and radio.[2] She was acclaimed for her coloratura soprano range,[3] three and one-half octaves by at least one account (see Annotations below, "Vocal Range Context"),[lower-alpha 1][4] and her ability to sing pop, jazz, and classical.

    Upon marrying for the second time, in 1965, Barr retired from as a recording artist, although she continued to perform club dates (one-nighters) and regional musical theater productions until around 1968. These later roles included Billy Dawn (Judy Holliday's role) in Born Yesterday (November 25, 1967–January 7, 1968) at the Hamlet Street Theater (now named the Rauh Theater) in Pittsburgh; and a hymn singer seeking to save men's souls in Guys and Dolls, starring Tony Martin, at the Meadowbrook Theater Restaurant in Cedar Grove, New Jersey (May 29, 1968–June 30, 1968).[5]

    Personal life

    Her first marriage was to Milton ("Milt" or "Milty") Leon Schwartz (1901–1992),[6] on June 20, 1954, in The Bronx. Schwartz, who was 27 years older, had been a saxophonist with the Al Trace Orchestra;[7] he was co-owner with Ralph Mitchell (né Ralph Michelev; 1916–2004) of the acclaimed Chicago jazz club the Preview Lounge, at 7 West Randolph Street, that ran from about 1945 until the summer of 1960. At the same address, Schwartz and Mitchell also owned the Modern Jazz Room (formerly the Encore Room and formerly Mambo City), upstairs.

    Her and Schwartz' marriage was annulled in New York Supreme Court on May 28, 1956,[8] refereed by Ed Koch[9] (who years later become Mayor of New York City).

    In 1958, news media reported that Aboulafia was officially changing her name to Kathy Barr.[10]

    In 1965, in Manhattan, under her birth name, "Marilyn Aboulafia," she married Irwin M. Glickman (1930–2011).[11] In 1966, she and Glickman had a daughter — Sylvia Beth Glickman. In 1968, reflecting on her disappointment about her first marriage, Barr confided that she was happy in her second marriage and declared, "This time, I wanted to work at it."[5]

    Barr died in Hollywood, Florida, on June 21, 2008.

    Her daughter Sylvia married Jeffrey Zina Johnston in 2005. Sylvia and Jeff had two sons, both born in Hollywood, Florida: John Michael Thunder Johnston, born in 2005, and Lightning James Marshall Hawk Johnston, born in 2008.

    Discography

    Albums

    Label Cat No. Released Album
    Artist(s)    		 Side A Side B Notes
    LPM–1562
    November
    1957[12]
    Follow Me
    ––––––––––
    Kathy Barr
    Jerry Fielding
    (arranger & conductor)
    1. "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" (audio)
    2. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (audio)
    3. "Cuddle up a Little Closer" (audio)
    4. "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (audio)
    5. "I'm Just Wild About Harry" (audio)
    6. "Give Me Something to Remember You By" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx runout H2 PP5757 – 1S I A1
    1. "Bye Bye Blackbird" (audio)
    2. "Love Is Here to Stay" (audio)
    3. "Day In, Day Out" (audio)
    4. "Fine and Dandy" (audio)
    5. "I Know He's Mine" (audio)
    6. "Follow Me" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx runout H2 PP-5758 – 1S I B1
    George T. Simon
    (sleeve notes)
    Sid Kuller
    (sleeve notes)
    Peter Gowland
    (cover photo)[13]
    ––––––––––
    OCLC 12875997 (all editions)
    LSO–1000
    LOP–1000
    SF–5005
    EPA–4168
    CPS–141
    1958

    Selections From
    The Desert Song    [14]
    ––––––––––
    Giorgio Tozzi as The Red Shadow
    Kathy Barr as Margo
    Peter Palmer (1931–2021)
    (supporting role)
    Eugene Morgan
    (né Eugene Byron Morgan; 1909–1974)
    (supporting role)
    Warren Galjour
    (né Warren Joseph Galjour; 1917–2009)
    (supporting role)
    With Male Chorus and Orchestra
    A. Lehman Engel
    (1910–1982)[15]
    (conductor)
    1. "Prelude and Opening Chorus" (audio)
    2. "The Riff Song" (audio)
    3. "O' Pretty Maid of France" (audio)
    4. "Why Did We Marry Soldiers?" (audio)
    5. "French Military Marching Song" (audio)
    6. "Romance" (audio)
    7. "Then You Will Know" (audio)
    8. "I Want a Kiss" (audio)
    9. "The Desert Song" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx label H2PP–7449
    1. "Finale" – Act I (audio)
    2. "Opening Chorus" ("My Little Castagnette") – Act II (audio)
    3. "Eastern and Western Love" (audio)
    4. "The Sabre Song" (audio)
    5. "Finale" – Act II (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx label H2PP–7450
    Leonard Louis Levinson
    (1904–1974)
    (sleeve notes)
    "Beautiful young Kathy Barr is the Margot of our production."
    Victor Kalin
    (né Victor Benson Kalin; 1919–1991)
    (illustration)
    ––––––––––
    OCLC 5857234 (all editions)
    A–48
    1964

    Do It Again
    ––––––––––
    Kathy Barr
    Jerry Fielding
    (arranger & conductor)
    1. "Just Squeeze Me" (audio)
    2. "Should I" (audio)
    3. "Do It Again" (audio)
    4. "My Sugar Is So Refined" (audio)
    5. "How Come You Do Me Like You Do" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx label HPS–285
    1. "How Little We Know" (audio)
    2. "It All Depends on You" (audio)
    3. "All of You" (audio)
    4. "You're Driving Me Crazy" (audio)
    5. "Don'cha Go 'Way Mad" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx label HPS–286
    Peter Whorf Graphics[lower-alpha 2]
    (né Peter Lee Whorf; 1931–1995)
    (design)
    Wally Heider
    (1922–1989)
    (engineer)
    Leslie Carr
    (liner notes)
    (illustration)
    Linda Bartlett
    (photography)
    Recorded at
    United Recording Corp.
    Hollywood, California
    ––––––––––
    OCLC 796372591 (all editions)

    Singles

    Label Cat No. Released Artist(s) Side A Side B Notes
    RCA Victor
    RCA    		 20–7036
    45–7036
    10373    		 1957 Kathy Barr
    With Orchestra
    Directed by
    Jerry Fielding    		 "Welcome Mat" (audio)[16]
    (©1957)
    By Jerry Fielding
    ––––––––––
    Mx label H2PW–5447    		 "A Slip of the Lip"
    (©1957)[17]
    By Walter Kent &
    Tom Walton
    (words & music)
    ––––––––––
    Mx label H2PW–5446    		 George T. Simon
    (sleeve notes)
    Sid Kuller
    (sleeve notes)
    ––––––––––
    OCLC 1116161307 (all editions)
    EPA–4168
    1958

    Selections From
    The Desert Song
    ––––––––––
    Giorgio Tozzi as The Red Shadow
    Kathy Barr as Margo
    Peter Palmer (1931–2021)
    (supporting role)
    Eugene Morgan
    (né Eugene Byron Morgan; 1909–1974)
    (supporting role)
    Warren Galjour
    (né Warren Joseph Galjour; 1917–2009)
    (supporting role)
    With Male Chorus and Orchestra
    A. Lehman Engel
    (1910–1982)[15]
    (conductor)
    1. "The Riff Song" (audio)
    2. "The Desert Song" (audio)
      ––––––––––
      Mx label H 2 PH–7856
    1. "Romance" (audio)
    2. "One Alone"
      ––––––––––
      Mx label H 2 PH–7857
    Leonard Louis Levinson
    (1904–1974)
    (sleeve notes)
    "Beautiful young Kathy Barr is the Margot of our production."
    Victor Kalin
    (né Victor Benson Kalin; 1919–1991)
    (illustration)
    ––––––––––
    OCLC 5857234 (all editions)
    ‡ Audio courtesy of YouTube

    Radio transcription disc

    Musical theater roles

    • Marinka, as Marinka (leading soprano role)
    Winter Garden Theatre, New York
    Australia touring production
    Tivoli circuit, Melbourne: Opened May 28, 1948, at the Tivoli Theater, Melbourne[21]
    At the age of 19, Barr was elevated to the role of Marinka after being the understudy for Kathryn Grayson[22]
    Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, August 1 thru August 6, 1949

    References

    Annotations

    1. ↑ Vocal range context: Most people can hit three to four octaves. Mariah Carey has a range of five and one-half octaves, as exhibited in her 1994 hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Prince, some speculate, may have sung notes across six octaves. The "Star Spangled Banner," considered difficult to sing, covers an octave and a half.(Washington Post, December 1, 2022) (Håkansson, Mikkelsen, Jakobsen, Elemans, November 29, 2022)
    2. ↑ Peter Whorf (né Peter Lee Whorf; 1931–1995) Richard Whorf was one of three sons of the actor Richard Whorf.

    Citations

    1. ↑ Naturalization, "Katie Barr," October 29, 1924.
    2. ↑ Leader-Herald, December 17, 1953, p. 12.
    3. ↑ Journal and Courier, March 8, 1959, p. 20.
    4. ↑ Buffalo Evening News, November 25, 1957, p. 39.
    5. 1 2 Morning Call, June 17, 1968, p. 13.
    6. ↑ Newsday, December 16, 1953, p. S50.
    7. ↑ Down Beat, January 1, 1940, p. 17.
    8. ↑ Chicago Daily Tribune, May 25, 1956, p. 2.
    9. ↑ Daily News, June 6, 1956, p. 4.
    10. ↑ Cedar Rapids Gazette April 22, 1958, p. 24.
    11. ↑ New York, Marriage Licenses, 1965.
    12. ↑ Cash Box, November 9, 1957, p. 32.
    13. ↑ AFRTS (audio), May 2, 1958 (at 11:03).
    14. ↑ Hi-Fi, September 1958, pp. 98–99.
    15. 1 2 Claghorn, 1973, p. 142.
    16. ↑ "Welcome Mat," 1957, p. 1228.
    17. ↑ "A Slip of the Lip," 1957, p. 1444.
    18. ↑ Old Radio Times, September-October, 2009, p. 23.
    19. ↑ Desert Sun, October 25, 1959, p. 26.
    20. ↑ Times-News, October 25, 1959, p. 26.
    21. ↑ Argus, May 29, 1948, p. 3.
    22. ↑ Argus, April 5, 1948, p. 3.

    Sources

      Via:
      1. Legacy.com. (ID: 16422651) Free access icon.
      2. Newspapers.com.
      3. ProQuest (US Newsstream).
      4. ProQuest (US Newsstream).
    • Old Radio Times (The) (September–October 2009). "OTRR Acquires New Episodes & Upgraded Sound Encodes for July/Aug". → "Magic of Music". "Kathy Barr". No. 45. p. 23. OCLC 763181778.
      1. Via OTRR blog (PDF) – via www.otrr.org. Free access icon
      2. Via Internet Archive. 22 February 2020. Free access icon
    • Times-News (The) (October 25, 1959). "Was Announcer for Marine Players" – "Marine, T.F. Man, Looking Forward to Reunion as Band Plays Here Today". Vol. 41, no. 193. Twin Falls, Idaho. p. 26.
      1. Via Newspapers.com.
      2. Via Internet Archive. 25 October 1959. Free access icon
    • Washington Post; Somasundaram, Praveena (December 1, 2022). "Mariah Carey's Vocal Range Is Better Than Most Humans'. Bats Surpass It". ISSN 2641-9599
      1. Via blog. ProQuest 2743827933 (US Newsstream database)
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