Richard Barrett

One of the most important figures in 1950s and early-'60s rock & roll to come out of New York, Richard Barrett has been badly served by history in terms of the recognition he is due. A singer/songwriter turned producer, he became an essential part of George Goldner's Rama, End, and Gone Records operations, as well as Morris Levy's Roulette Records, and brought along several legendary groups of the period. He was one of the first successful independent black record producers and also became a pioneering black producer on Broadway. Richard Barrett (then known as Ritchie Barrett) was born and raised in Philadelphia and began singing with an R&B harmony group called the Angels during the early '50s. A charismatic singer with a fine voice, he was also a skilled dancer and choreographer, and had many good ideas about arrangements, even in those early days. Philadelphia in the early '50s wasn't the hotbed of music industry activity that it would become in the second half of the decade. Barrett took off for greener pastures in New York City sometime around 1952 or early 1953, eking out a living as a day laborer, primarily in landscaping, and trying to find a music gig that would pay. He crossed paths with a group called the Dreamers, a local quartet that he heard singing at a party, and began talking with them about the idea of expanding by one; he also presented them with a song that he'd written entitled "Summer's Love," and the group was so taken with the song that they added Barrett to the lineup just to get it. A quick name change to the Valentines seemed to jump-start their new configuration and the quintet began getting noticed locally; one of those who enjoyed the band's sound was Raoul Cita of the Harptones, who arranged an audition for the quintet with Monte Bruce,...