Richard Barrett (5)

American singer, musician, composer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer and producer
Manager and the founder of Princeton Records (4).

Born: 14 July 1933, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: 03 August 2006, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As Barrett grew out of his teenage years, performing in Philadelphia with the Royal Angels, he moved to New York and became lead singer with The Valentines. After their first single in 1957 the band made seven singles on George Goldner's Rama label, where Barrett also began to work as a talent-scout and manager, aided by gopher Artie Ripp. He discovered, mentored and produced Little Anthony & The Imperials, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and Chantels- playing bass, piano and drums on the latter's single 'Maybe', which he wrote and which reached #15 in the charts. When Arlene Smith left the group he performed as lead singer on two singles. Barrett started his own label Princeton Records in 1960, creating a girl act called The Veneers, adding Annette Smith to the three remaining Chantels. Later, as the new Chantels, they also found success.
In 1962 Barrett co-wrote and recorded Some Other Guy with Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller on Atlantic, recorded later by Beatles and The Big Three in the UK. He released further material on Crackerjack and SWAN and moved back to Philadelphia to work with other artists, such as Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes.
His greatest success was as creator, manager and producer of The Three Degrees.
After receiving the Philadelphia Music Alliance Founder's Award in 1990 he was portrayed by Ben Vereen in the 1998 biopic of Frankie Lymon "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". Barrett suffered with pancreatic cancer in his later years and died peacefully with his family at his bedside at Pennsylvania Hospital.