The Barry Sisters
Minnie Bagelman (April 6, 1923[1] – October 31, 1976) and Clara Bagelman (October 17, 1920 – November 22, 2014),[2] best known under the stage names Merna and Claire Barry, were popular American Yiddish and jazz entertainers from the 1940s to the early 1970s.
Early years
Minnie and Clara were born in the
The young girls got their first break as singers on WLTH Radio's Uncle Norman show for children and were still then known as The Bagelman Sisters. They cut their first recordings with
From 1937 until the mid-1950s they performed on the program, where they would sing jazz recordings in Yiddish.
The sisters' 11th and final album, Our Way, was issued in 1973.[6]
Personal lives
Merna Barry, later Mrs. Emanuel Pine, was born on April 6, 1923, and died on October 31, 1976, aged 53 (not 51 as was misreported) from a brain tumor following a lengthy hospitalization in Manhattan's
Claire Barry (later Mrs. Easton) was born on October 17, 1920, and died on November 22, 2014, aged 94, in Aventura, Florida, having survived her younger sister by 38 years. She was survived by a daughter, Joy Pargman.[11] Claire Barry Easton was featured in the 2002 NPR radio show, The Yiddish Radio Project.[12]
Discography
- The Barry Sisters (10", Album); 1951 Banner Records LP 058
- The Barry Sisters; Banner Records BAS-1009 (compilation of recordings originally released as 78 rpm records)
- The Barry Sisters Sing…; 1957 Cadence CLP-4001 (w/Abe Ellstein)
- At Home with the Barry Sisters; 1959 Roulette SR-25060 (w/Abe Ellstein)
- Side by Side; 1961 Roulette SR-25136 (w/Joe Reisman)
- We Belong Together; 1961 Roulette SR-25156;(w/Jerry Fielding)
- Shalom; 1961 Roulette SR-25157 (w/Joe Reisman)
- The Barry Sisters in Israel (live); 1963 Roulette SR-25198
- The World of the Barry Sisters: Memorable Jewish Melodies; Roulette SR-25258
- The Barry Sisters Sing Fiddler On The Roof; 1964 ABC-ParamountABCS-516
- Something Spanish; ABC-Paramount ABCS-578 (arranged and conducted by Chico O'Farrill)
- A Time To Remember; 1966 ABC-Paramount ABCS-597
- The Best Of The Barry Sisters; 1966 Roulette RR-30748;
- Jewish Favourites; 1969 Saga Eros;
- Our Way (Tahka-Tahka); 1973 Roulette/Mainstream/Red Lion MRL-393; 1973 (w/Jim Tyler, Jerry Graff)
- Moishe Oysher With The Barry Sisters - A Gala Concert With Moishe Oysher And The Barry Sisters. Volume 2 (2xLP, Album); 1973 The Greater Recording Co., Inc. GRC-296;
References
- ^ NOTE: Merna Barry was not born in 1925 as had previously been assumed. The 1925 U.S. census taken in June 1925 gives her age as 2 years old. The 1930 US census, enumerated April 15, 1930, gives her age as seven (7), and the 1940 US census, enumerated April 4, 1940, gives her age as seventeen (17). Her family gravestone provides the April 6 date of birth but with the wrong year.
- ^ NOTE: Claire Barry was not born in 1923, the year that had previously been cited as her year of birth, but in 1920, as all notices of her death give her age as 94, and her gravestone cites 1920 as her year of birth.
- ^ The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147 (Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
- ^ a b c "Our Way liner notes (1973 album, 2008 reissue)" (PDF). Mainstream Records. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2011. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
- ^ "The Rise of Yiddish Swing". Yiddishradioproject.org. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ^ "Jessica Emmerich, THE IDELSOHN SOCIETY FOR MUSICAL PRESERVATION (Formerly Reboot Stereophonic)". Thedeadhub.com. 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ^ Clara and Minnie Bagelman info, familysearch.org, ancestry.com; accessed November 26, 2014.
- ^ Obituary for Merna Barry Pine, nytimes.com, November 2, 1976; accessed November 26, 2014 (abstract only without registration/subscription).
- ^ Notice of death of Merna Barry, jta.org, November 3, 1976; accessed November 26, 2014.
- ^ "Vintage Lady". 2008-02-02. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ^ Notice of death of Claire Barry, forward.com; accessed November 26, 2014.
- ^ "Yiddish Radio Project". Yiddishradioproject.org. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
External links
Archives at | ||||
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How to use archival material |
- Freedman Catalogue discography
- Profile, mtv.com; accessed November 26, 2014.
- Barry Sisters' discography, rainloresworldofmusic.net; accessed November 26, 2014.
- YouTube