Guide Note:

Producer, singer and songwriter Barry White, infamous for his deep, rich voice, is estimated to have sold in excess of 50 million records during the course of his 30 year music career. He was also the founder and leader of the Love Unlimited Orchestra, a funk collective that combined strings and percussion. He died in July of 2003 at the age of 58, after suffering from a stroke.

Fast Facts:

1. Birth Name: Barrence Eugene Carter
2. Born September 12, 1944 in Galveston, Texas
3. Died: July 4, 2003 Los Angeles, California
4. Nicknames: "The Walrus of Love," "The Maestro"
5. Albums: 24
6. Did four months in jail at age 17 for stealing tires
7. Record Label: Mercury Records
8. Inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in 2004
9. Frequently included spoken interludes in his songs
10. Was offered the role of Chef on South Park before Isaac Hayes

White had a troubled youth, growing in a high-crime area in Los Angeles and joining a gang at age 10. While serving four months in prison, he heard Elvis Presley sing on the radio and decided to take up a career in music.

In 1969, he got a job as a back-up singer with a girl group called Love Unlimited. White eventually married the group's lead singer, Glodean James.

His first solo hit was the 1973 song "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby," which became the #1 R&B; song in the country. Also in 1973, White recorded "Love's Theme" with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, which is sometimes regarded as the first major hit of the disco genre.

In 1974, he recorded what became his most famous and iconic song, "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe."

After the popularity of disco waned, so did White's career, though he made something of a comeback in the 1990s, winning 2 Grammy Awards for his 1999 album Staying Power - for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance and Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance.