The Barry Sisters (United States)
Encyclopedia
Clara and Minnie Barry were popular American Jazz
and Klesmer entertainers of the 1940s to the early 1970s.
jazz
singers. When their act became more popular, they changed their stage name to The Barry Sisters. They started performing in the New York
Catskill
s resort hotels. They eventually toured with Mickey Katz
. From 1937 until the mid 1950's they performed on the New York Radio Show "Yiddish Melodies in Swing", where they would sing jazz recordings in the Yiddish language. Their recordings included popular tunes, such as "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head" translated into Yiddish (Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop).
During the height of their popularity, they even made appearances on the Ed Sullivan
and Jack Paar
shows and were one of the few American acts to tour the Soviet Union
in 1959.
and Moishe Oysher
.
The Barry Sisters are thought to be the inspiration for the Saturday Night Live
skit, "The Sweeney Sisters," in which Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn portrayed a sister cabaret act. Mark Shaiman did the musical arrangements for those sketches.
Merna Barry was born in 1925 and died in 1976. . Claire Barry, born in 1923, continues to sing and perform, and was featured in the 2002 NPR
radio show, "The Yiddish Radio Project.".
The duo's 11th and final album, "My Way," was issued in 1973.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Klesmer entertainers of the 1940s to the early 1970s.
Early years
Born in the Bronx, New York, they were first known as The Bagelman Sisters. They made a name for themselves as YiddishYiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singers. When their act became more popular, they changed their stage name to The Barry Sisters. They started performing in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Catskill
Catskill
Catskill may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New York:* Catskill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River* Catskill Mountains** Catskill Park, a protected area in the above mountains* Catskill , New York, in Greene County...
s resort hotels. They eventually toured with Mickey Katz
Mickey Katz
Mickey Katz , was an American comedian and musician who specialized in Jewish humor. He was the father of actor Joel Grey and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey.-Family:...
. From 1937 until the mid 1950's they performed on the New York Radio Show "Yiddish Melodies in Swing", where they would sing jazz recordings in the Yiddish language. Their recordings included popular tunes, such as "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head" translated into Yiddish (Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop).
During the height of their popularity, they even made appearances on the Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan
Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
and Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
shows and were one of the few American acts to tour the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1959.
Musical influence
The Barry Sisters also recorded with other noted Jewish singers such as Barbra StreisandBarbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Moishe Oysher
Moishe Oysher
Moishe Oysher Moishe Oysher Moishe Oysher (Yiddish: משה אוישר, (born 1906 in Lipkon (Lipkany), Bessarabia, Imperial Russia – died 27 November 1958, New Rochelle, New York, USA). was a cantor and Yiddish theatre actor. He is considered one of the most entertaining chazanim (cantors) ever...
.
The Barry Sisters are thought to be the inspiration for the Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
skit, "The Sweeney Sisters," in which Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn portrayed a sister cabaret act. Mark Shaiman did the musical arrangements for those sketches.
Merna Barry was born in 1925 and died in 1976. . Claire Barry, born in 1923, continues to sing and perform, and was featured in the 2002 NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
radio show, "The Yiddish Radio Project.".
The duo's 11th and final album, "My Way," was issued in 1973.
Discography
- The Barry Sisters; Banner BA-1009 (compilation of recodings originally released as 78rpms)
- The Barry Sisters; Cadence CLP-4001
- At Home with the Barry Sisters; Roulette SR-25060 (w/Abe Ellstein)
- Side by Side; Roulette SR-25136
- We Belong Together; Roulette SR-25156; 1961 (w/Jerry Fielding)
- Shalom; Roulette SR-25157
- The Barry Sisters in Israel (live); Roulette SR-25198
- The World of the Barry Sisters: Memorable Jewish Melodies; Roulette SR-25258
- Fiddler on the Roof; ABC-Paramount ABCS-516
- Something Spanish; ABC-Paramount ABCS-578 (arr. & cond. Chico O'Farrill)
- A Time To Remember; ABC-Paramount ABCS-597
- Our Way (Tahka-Tahka); Roulette/Mainstream/Red Lion MRL-393; 1973 (w/Jim Tyler, Jerry Graff)