Randy Barlow

Randy Barlow (March 29, 1943 – July 30, 2020) was an American country music recording artist. Between 1976 and 1983, he released four albums, including three for Republic Records. In the same time span, he charted twenty singles on the Billboard U.S. country charts, including a string of four songs in a row which all reached No. 10.

This article is about the country singer. For the Colombian songwriter, see Miami Sound Machine.

Randy Barlow
Birth name	Randall Moore
Born	(1943-03-29)March 29, 1943[1] Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	July 30, 2020 (aged 77) Palmetto, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Country
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1968–1983
Labels	Gazelle Republic Paid Jamex
Website	www.randybarlow.net

Early life

Randy Barlow was born on March 29, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan to Hugh and Dessie Moore.[2] Barlow began playing guitar at 6 years of age after receiving a toy guitar as a Christmas gift from his father. Later, the family relocated to the western Detroit suburb of Garden City, and Barlow's father Hugh went to work at General Motors' Willow Run Transmission plant, an experience Barlow would later immortalize in a charting single. In high school, Barlow played guitar in a local rock and roll band called The Royal Lancers. After high school, Barlow attended Western Kentucky University, where he and fellow students formed a band called E.A. Poe and the Ravens. It was during this period that he developed his musical style, and changed his last name to Barlow.[3]

Career

1964–1975: Early career

In 1964, Barlow was offered a job as an emcee and road manager for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour.[2][4] One of his duties on this tour was driver and road manager for first-wave British invasion band Herman's Hermits. This experience gave Barlow his first taste of the touring life of a professional musician, and left him with a resolve to make a career for himself in music. In 1966, Barlow moved to California to seriously pursue a career as a recording artist.[3] He spent the next few years playing clubs in southern California, and released his second single in 1968, "Color Blind", on the Mercury label, which did not chart.[2] His first released single had been in 1967 on Jimmy Velvet's Velvet Tone label, "Listen To The Green Grass Grow".

1976–1983: Recording career

In 1974, Barlow released a single on the Capitol label, "Throw Away the Pages", which made it into the Top 100 for country, followed by three more Top 100 songs in 1976.[5] Barlow's big break came later in 1976, with a move to Nashville and the opportunity to record his second single, the Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune "24 Hours from Tulsa", which charted in the top 20 in 1977.[3][5][6] This was followed by four top 10 country singles from 1977 to 1979: "Slow and Easy", "No Sleep Tonight", "Fall in Love with Me Tonight", and "Sweet Melinda", with Barlow garnering songwriting credits on the last 3 songs. The year 1979 brought a nomination for Best New Male Artist from the Academy of Country Music, and a television appearance on "Hee Haw" alongside Gene Autry and the Statler Brothers, during which Barlow sang "Sweet Melinda".[7] Barlow toured nationally while releasing eight more singles and four albums in the period from 1976–1983, on the Republic label and later the Paid label. In 1981 his single, "Willow Run" reached #46 in the country music top 100.[5]

1984–2020: Later career and death

Barlow remained based in Nashville, where he continued to write songs and perform. In 2015, Barlow was inducted into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. On August 20, 2016, Randy Barlow was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame in West Branch, Michigan.[8]

Barlow died of cancer on July 30, 2020, at the age of 77.[9]

Awards

1979 Country Music Association Award (CMA) nominee for Best New Male Vocalist; Cash Box Magazine Country Album Award Winner, New Male Vocalist;[10] Inductee, National Traditional Country Music Association Hall of Fame 2015.[8] Randy Barlow was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame in West Branch, Michigan on August 20, 2016.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions		Label
		US Country	CAN Country
1977	Arrival	—	—	Gazelle
1978	Fall in Love with Me	26	21	Republic
1979	Randy Barlow Featuring Sweet Melinda	25	—
1981	Dimensions	—	—	Paid

Singles

Year	Single	Chart Positions		Album
		US Country	CAN Country
1968	"Color Blind"	—	—	Singles only
1973	"Likes to See a Big Man Cry"	—	—
1974	"Throw Away the Pages"	80	—
1976	"Johnny Orphan"	74	—
	"Goodnight My Love"	53	—	Arrival
	"Lonely Eyes"	46	—
	"Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa"	18	—
1977	"Kentucky Woman"	26	—
	"California Lady"	31	—
	"Walk Away with Me"	48	—
1978	"Slow and Easy"	10	—	Fall in Love with Me
	"No Sleep Tonight"	10	18
1979	"Fall in Love with Me Tonight"	10	11
	"Sweet Melinda"	10	14	Randy Barlow Featuring Sweet Melinda
	"Another Easy Lovin' Night"	25	—
	"Lay Back in the Arms of Someone"	13	—
1980	"Willow Run"	46	—	Dimensions
1981	"Dixie Man"	25	—
	"Love Dies Hard"	13	—
	"Try Me"	32	—	Singles only
1982	"Love Was Born"	30	—
1983	"Don't Leave Me Lonely Loving You"	67	—

References

1. Ankeny, Jason. "Randy Barlow biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
2. "Randy Barlow | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
3. "Randy Barlow.net". www.randybarlow.net. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
4. "RolandNote.com: The Ultimate Country Music Database". www.rolandnote.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
5. "Randy Barlow Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts". www.musicvf.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
6. "Randy Barlow | My Kind of Country". mykindofcountry.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
7. "RolandNote.com: The Ultimate Country Music Database". www.rolandnote.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
8. "National Traditional Country Music Assn". www.ntcma.net. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
9. "Country Star Randy Barlow Has Passed Away". savingcountrymusic.com. July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
10. "Cash Box magazine Oct. 13, 1979" (PDF). Retrieved March 3, 2016.