Barry Ryan (singer)
Encyclopedia
Barry Ryan was an English
pop
singer
. He is currently a photographer.
The son of pop singer Marion Ryan
, Ryan and his twin brother
Paul
began to perform at the age of 16. In 1965 they signed a recording contract
with Decca
and, under the name of "Paul & Barry Ryan", brought out singles
such as "Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches" (1965), "Have Pity on the Boy" (1966) and "Missy Missy" (1966). His stepfather was the American
agent and music promoter Harold Davison.
When it turned out that Ryan's brother was unable to cope any longer with the stress
connected with show business
, the brothers decided that Paul would write
the song
s which Ryan would interpret as a solo
artist
. Their greatest success as a composer
-singer duo, now for MGM Records
, was "Eloise" (1968), melodramatic and heavily orchestrated. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. Later singles included "Love Is Love" (also 1968), "The Hunt" (1969), "Magical Spiel" (1970) and "Kitsch" (1970).
"Love Is Love", written by Paul Ryan and released in the United Kingdom
during February 1969, was not a great success in his own country. However combining sales from Germany
, Austria
and the Netherlands
, "Love is Love" sold a million copies by August 1969, the second million-seller for Ryan.
Ryan was also popular in Germany
. Promoted by Bravo
, the German youth magazine
, he also recorded
a number of songs in German
, for example "Die Zeit macht nur vor dem Teufel Halt" ("Time Only Stops for The Devil").
Ryan stopped performing in the early 1970s. There were rumours that he had had an accident in the recording studio
. Supposedly he suffered serious burn
wounds in the face and could no longer appear in public. However, he made a comeback in the late 1990s when a two CD
set with his and his brother's old songs was released. Ryan was also part of the 'Solid Silver 60s Tour' of the UK
in 2003, singing "Eloise" backed by The Dakotas.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. He is currently a photographer.
The son of pop singer Marion Ryan
Marion Ryan
Marion Ryan was a popular British singer in the 1950s.-Career:Born Marian Ryan in Middlesbrough, England, and once called "the Marilyn Monroe of popular song", Marion Ryan was a pop singer of the 1950s in the early years of British Independent Television...
, Ryan and his twin brother
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
Paul
Paul Ryan (singer)
Paul Ryan was an English singer, songwriter and record producer.Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Paul and his twin brother Barry were the sons of singer Marion Ryan, and had some success as a singing duo during the 1960s, known simply as "Paul & Barry Ryan"...
began to perform at the age of 16. In 1965 they signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and, under the name of "Paul & Barry Ryan", brought out singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
such as "Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches" (1965), "Have Pity on the Boy" (1966) and "Missy Missy" (1966). His stepfather was the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
agent and music promoter Harold Davison.
When it turned out that Ryan's brother was unable to cope any longer with the stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
connected with show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
, the brothers decided that Paul would write
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
the song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s which Ryan would interpret as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Their greatest success as a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
-singer duo, now for MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, was "Eloise" (1968), melodramatic and heavily orchestrated. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Later singles included "Love Is Love" (also 1968), "The Hunt" (1969), "Magical Spiel" (1970) and "Kitsch" (1970).
"Love Is Love", written by Paul Ryan and released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during February 1969, was not a great success in his own country. However combining sales from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, "Love is Love" sold a million copies by August 1969, the second million-seller for Ryan.
Ryan was also popular in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Promoted by Bravo
Bravo (magazine)
Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
, the German youth magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, he also recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a number of songs in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, for example "Die Zeit macht nur vor dem Teufel Halt" ("Time Only Stops for The Devil").
Ryan stopped performing in the early 1970s. There were rumours that he had had an accident in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. Supposedly he suffered serious burn
Burn (injury)
A burn is a type of injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns affect only the skin . Rarely, deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels can also be injured...
wounds in the face and could no longer appear in public. However, he made a comeback in the late 1990s when a two CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
set with his and his brother's old songs was released. Ryan was also part of the 'Solid Silver 60s Tour' of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 2003, singing "Eloise" backed by The Dakotas.
Private life
Ryan has been married to:- Her Highness Tunku (Princess) Miriam binti al-Marhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim (born 1950), the only child of Major-General H.R.H. Paduka Sri Sultan Al-Haj Sir Ibrahim al-Mashur ibni al-Marhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar, Sultan of Johore, and his fourth wife, Sultana Marcella (née Marcella Mendl, 1915–1982). Married in 1978 and divorced in 1980, they had no children.
External links
- http://www.barryryan.net/ the photographer, official site
- Discography