Thursday 28 May 2020

Dave Barbour born 28 May 1912


 David Michael Barbour (May 28, 1912 – December 11, 1965) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Peggy Lee and was her co-writer, accompanist, and bandleader.

Barbour was born in Long Island, New York. He was educated at Flushing High School and in private music study. When Barbour was twelve, he played banjo at Carnegie Hall.  He came out of an early generation of jazz string players who changed from banjo to guitar as the swing era took off. He began playing professionally with one-armed Dixieland trumpeter Wingy Manone in the early '30s, and at that point he was still on banjo. 

By 1936 Barbour had picked up guitar and was in the group of vibraphonist Red Norvo, who almost always featured guitars. Through the late '30s and into the early '40s, the guitarist was extremely busy with a variety of studio and performing groups, 
including those of Lennie Hayton, Charlie Barnet, Raymond Scott, Glenn Miller, and Lou Holden. He also recorded with André Previn in 1945.

While a member of Benny Goodman's orchestra in 1942 the guitarist fell in love with the band's singer, Lee naturally, and the pair ran off, leaving Goodman minus two band members. They got married 8 March 1943 and moved to Los Angeles where they bagan a flourishing partnership writing songs whose titles might have suggested elements of their evolving personal relationship: i.e., "It's a Good Day," "Just an Old Love of Mine," "I Don't Know Enough About You," "Confusion Says," "(I'm Not Gonna) Let It Bother Me," and "Blum Blum, I Wonder Who I Am." 


                              

 Barbour also conducted and arranged for record companies and joined ASCAP in 1947. Lee wrote "Johnny Guitar" with Victor Young, but listeners familiar with Lee's personal life will no doubt hear Barbour in there somewhere, as the singer couldn't have helped but think about him while interpreting this especially sad ballad. They divorced in 1951.

Barbour’s drink problem continued after the relationship with Lee had fallen apart and no doubt accounted for his fallow period. If there was life after Lee for him, it was for the most part sustained by royalty checks, as songs written by the couple were covered by a wide range of performers, from top jazz vocalists to '50s pop icons such as Doris Day and Perry Como. 

During this era, Barbour recorded a few sides as orchestra leader for Capitol, Decca and Arwin record labels between 1949 and 1959. he also made a dash at an acting career and shows up in two films, both with vaguely biographical titles: The Secret Fury and Mr. Music. From 1952 on his musical appearances were limited to a small number of charity events and a 1962 Benny Carter recording session.

Barbour died in 1965 of a haemorrhaged ulcer in Malibu Beach, California, at the age of 53. Late in life, Lee wrote in her autobiography that shortly before his death she and Barbour were considering remarriage. After her death, their daughter had Barbour's ashes interred with those of Miss Peggy Lee.

(Edited from AllMusic & Wikipedia)

11 comments:

boppinbob said...

For”Peggy Lee & Dave Barbour - A Musical Marriage” go here:

https://pixeldrain.com/u/Lzst58td

1. I LET A SONG GO OUT OF MY HEART
2. TRAV'LIN' LIGHT
3. SWINGING ON A STAR
4. IMAGINATION
5. OH! YOU CRAZY MOON
6. AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU'RE YOU
7. AS LONG AS I'M DREAMING
8. MOLLY MALONE
9. THIS LITTLE PIGGIE WENT TO MARKET
10. BUT BEAUTIFUL
11. YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY
12. GOODY, GOODY
13. THIS CAN'T BE LOVE
14. I AIN'T GOT NOBODY
15. WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN
16. FINE AND DANDY
17. LONESOME ROAD
18. YOU BOUGHT A NEW KIND OF LOVE TO ME
19. THE GLORY OF LOVE
20. MELANCHOLY LULLABY
21. COTTAGE FOR SALE
22. TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE

djmcblues2 said...

I've tried pixeldrain downloads on many browsers, and it gets blocked as dangerous every time.

boppinbob said...


Hi DJM try this one…….

https://www.upload.ee/files/11784330/PLee___DBarbour.rar.html

Apparently some antivirus brands just do not like Pixeldrain yet it is OK. My one blocks send space!!!

My local Forum is always being asked about it. The usual way is by using a vpn and logging in from another country ..this will work.

Sorry but I am only using free file storage and have maxed out on most sites hence using the new Pixeldrain.

Crab Devil said...

Thanks!

Bob Mac said...

Thanks for this.

djmcblues2 said...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try!!

djmcblues2 said...

Yes, that worked fine! Thanks again. You have many others I'd like to get, but won't bother you each time.

Unknown said...

A master at his craft...my father knew him and Peggy...

aemulae said...

Hiya! I'm trying to download this album but it's impossible to find anywhere. Can you post a new upload link? I'd be so grateful :-)

boppinbob said...

Hello aemulae, Here is the correct new link...

https://krakenfiles.com/view/jo79rTLrv4/file.html

That's what you get when you are trying to do 5 re-ups and it's late in the evening.

Regards, Bob

aemulae said...

Thanks so much Bob! Really appreciate you putting in the time to share the tunes :)