H. B. Barnum
Encyclopedia
H. B. Barnum is an American
pianist
, arranger
, record producer
, songwriter
, and former child actor
.
After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the motion picture
Valley of the Sun Marches On, he continued his acting career on TV
in the Amos 'n Andy Shows, the Jack Benny
Show, and others, making his first solo recording
as Pee Wee Barnum in 1950.
He then joined doo-wop
groups The Dootones and, in 1956, The Robins (later The Coasters
), for whom he played piano. In 1960, under the pseudonym "Dudley" he recorded the radio hit "El Pizza," a parody
of Marty Robbins
' "El Paso
". In 1961 he had the only hit under his own name, the instrumental
"Lost Love", and in the same year recorded the first version of "Nut Rocker
", credited to Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks. He also recorded three album
s as a singer-pianist during the 1960s.
Since that time he has become most widely known as an arranger, for a very wide range of performers including Lou Rawls
, Count Basie
, O.C. Smith, Frank Sinatra
, The Supremes
, Aretha Franklin
, Little Richard
, Gladys Knight
, Al Wilson
, and the Pump Girls
. Barnum also produced, along with Johnnie Walls of JWP Productions which distributed the record, the 1985 hip-hop comedy song "Rappin' Duke
."
In addition, he also produced "The Fish Song", a rare song by The New Creation, released on Salaam Records.
H.B. Barnum had an album recorded by the Novells, a Los Angeles area band, titled, That Did It! in 1968. The album which never was properly promoted surprisingly re-emerged as an import some 40-years later when it was released in the United Kingdom in July 2005 and again in December 2007 by Radioactive Records.
In 1962, Barnum, in collaboration with Bill Aken and Lan-Cet Records did the big band arrangement for the 1962 gubernatorial campaign recording to tie in with Goodwin "Goody" Knight's bid for re-election as Governor of California. Johnny Mercer gave the o.k. for using Aken's re-written lyrics to his old standard of "Goody, Goody." In spite of the fact that it was done for a political campaign, the band's final recording was a superlative work of musical genius on the part of Barnum and Aken. Goodwin Knight subsequently pulled out of the campaign and copys of the record are very rare and hard to find.
H. B. Barnum is the older brother of backup singer Billie Barnum.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriter
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...
, and former child actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Valley of the Sun Marches On, he continued his acting career on TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the Amos 'n Andy Shows, the Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
Show, and others, making his first solo recording
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...
as Pee Wee Barnum in 1950.
He then joined doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
groups The Dootones and, in 1956, The Robins (later The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
), for whom he played piano. In 1960, under the pseudonym "Dudley" he recorded the radio hit "El Pizza," a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
' "El Paso
El Paso (song)
"El Paso" is a country and western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the country and pop music charts, reaching number...
". In 1961 he had the only hit under his own name, the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
"Lost Love", and in the same year recorded the first version of "Nut Rocker
B. Bumble and the Stingers
B. Bumble and the Stingers were an American instrumental ensemble in the early 1960s, who specialized in making rock and roll arrangements of classical melodies. Their biggest hits were "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962...
", credited to Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks. He also recorded three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s as a singer-pianist during the 1960s.
Since that time he has become most widely known as an arranger, for a very wide range of performers including Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, O.C. Smith, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, Al Wilson
Al Wilson (singer)
Al Wilson was an American soul singer best known for the million-selling #1 hit, "Show and Tell". He is also remembered for his Northern soul anthem, "The Snake".-Career:...
, and the Pump Girls
Pump Girls
The Pump Girls are a musical group founded in 1998 by four girls, Colleen Cottrell, Sara Cronstadt, Janelle Munion and Brittany Rausch, all of whom have type 1 diabetes....
. Barnum also produced, along with Johnnie Walls of JWP Productions which distributed the record, the 1985 hip-hop comedy song "Rappin' Duke
Rappin' Duke
"Rappin' Duke" is a 1984 hip-hop novelty song by Shawn Brown performing as The Rappin' Duke. The concept of the song is that actor John Wayne is performing the rap...
."
In addition, he also produced "The Fish Song", a rare song by The New Creation, released on Salaam Records.
H.B. Barnum had an album recorded by the Novells, a Los Angeles area band, titled, That Did It! in 1968. The album which never was properly promoted surprisingly re-emerged as an import some 40-years later when it was released in the United Kingdom in July 2005 and again in December 2007 by Radioactive Records.
In 1962, Barnum, in collaboration with Bill Aken and Lan-Cet Records did the big band arrangement for the 1962 gubernatorial campaign recording to tie in with Goodwin "Goody" Knight's bid for re-election as Governor of California. Johnny Mercer gave the o.k. for using Aken's re-written lyrics to his old standard of "Goody, Goody." In spite of the fact that it was done for a political campaign, the band's final recording was a superlative work of musical genius on the part of Barnum and Aken. Goodwin Knight subsequently pulled out of the campaign and copys of the record are very rare and hard to find.
H. B. Barnum is the older brother of backup singer Billie Barnum.