HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JEFF BARRY!!!

April 3, 2010: On this date in 1938 (hey, that rhymes - how appropriate!), Jeff Barry was born in Brooklyn, NY.  By 1960, that little baby had grown up and made a name for himself with his very first hit record as a songwriter, "Tell Laura I Love Her," recorded by Ray Peterson in the States and taken to #1 in the U.K. by Ricky Valance.  After this, the hits just kept on a-comin', from the dozens of "girl group" tunes he wrote with then-wife Ellie Greenwich to his work with The Monkees and The Archies, from Robin McNamara and Bobby Bloom to The Klowns and The Illusion, from his fun, singalongable TV theme songs such as "Movin' On Up" from the Jeffersons to his smash hit "I Honestly Love You," written with Peter Allen and taken to the top of the charts by Olivia Newton-John.  In 1991, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; and, in 2010, the team became inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well!  Happy birthday, Jeff, and congratulations!

The Story Behind the Song

Jeff Barry is one of a host of top songwriters featured in The Story Behind the Song, a new book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  This book focuses on how, when and why 101 of the world's most popular tunes came into being, with composers sharing their inspirations and influences.  Jeff gives readers the history of one of his personal favorites, "Walkin' in the Sun" - which as dedicated Jeff Barry fans might recall was inspired by his father - as well as his first hit as a songwriter, "Tell Laura I Love Her." 

The book was written by Jo-Ann Geffen along with veteran Chicken Soup for the Soul authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.  Foreword is by Lamont Dozier (from the prolific hitmaking team of Holland-Dozier-Holland).