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American swamp pop musician, born 13 July 1939 in Cut Off, Louisiana, USA; died 31 August 2004 in Cut Off, Louisiana, USA.

Barry started recording locally in the late 1950s, and released two singles on Jin Records around 1960. The second single, released in 1961, I'm a Fool to Care was picked up for national distribution by Smash Records (4). The record reached #15 on the U.S. Black Singles chart and in April 1961, it peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold over one million copies by 1968, earning a belated gold disc. The song also charted in the UK Singles Chart at #49.

The next single, Teardrops in My Heart, also charted, it reached #63 in Billboard in August 1961. Barry left Smash in the mid-1960s to record exclusively for Huey P. Meaux's Princess label. During this era Barry frequently played at Papa Joe's in New Orleans, and the Esquire ballroom in Houston. Disgruntled by loss of royalties through fraud, he very shortly gave up music around 1967. He returned soon after to record for Houma, the label he had recorded for around 1957/58, though the new tapes were flawed, and eventually destroyed in a fire.

In 1968, Barry found work from Nashville as a session musician, and signed a contract with Nugget Records (2). He recorded six tracks for the label before leaving music due to a quarrel with the Nugget management, after which Barry refused to record for them, and in return, they refused to release him from the five-year contract, so he returned to work on the off-shore oil platforms in Louisiana.

Barry returned to music in 1976, releasing a full-length, self-titled country album, followed with an album of original gospel tunes in 1980, Sweet Rose of Sharon. Health problems prevented him from continuing a career in music later in his life until 2003, when he released his last album, Been Down that Muddy Road, which took several years of overdubbing to complete due to his physical limitations.

During his career he also occasionally recorded under his real name and as Roosevelt Jones.

ALBUMS


Joe Barry
Been Down That Muddy Road
2002, CD, Album, Night Train International
Joe Barry
The Loneliest Boy In Town: Swamp-Pop, Blues, R&B, Volume 1
1999, CD, Comp, Edsel Records
Joe Barry
A. K. A. Roosevelt Jones, Volume 2
1999, CD, Comp, Edsel Records, ,
Cajun
Joe Barry
I'm A Fool To Care - The Complete Recordings 1958-1977
1999, 2xCD, Comp, Night Train International
Joe Barry
I'm A Fool To Care -His Fats Domino Sound-
1990, LP, Comp, Princess Records (5)
Joe Barry
Joe Barry
1977, LP, ABC Records
Joe Barry
If You Really Want Me To , I'll Go
1977, 7", Single, ABC DOT
Ronnie Milsap · Freddy Fender (2) · Joe Barry · Ivory Joe Hunter · T-Bone Walker
The Hit Kickers Series, Vol. 6 (A Special 3 Record Set Featuring...)
1976, 3xLP, Comp, Festival (8), ,
Country/Rhythm & Blues
T-Bone Walker · Joe Barry · Johnny Winter · Barbara Lynn · Doug Sahm
The Hit-Kickers Series, Vol. 9 (A Special 3 Record Set Featuring...)
1976, 3xLP, Comp, Festival (8)
Joe Barry
Chantilly Lace
1972, 7", Single, Mono, M7
Joe Barry
Always
1969
Joe Barry
Ode To A Woman
1969
Joe Barry
Today I Started Loving You Again
1968
Joe Barry
I'm Walking Behind You / My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You
1966, 7", Single, Houma
Joe Barry
Come What May
1965
Joe Barry
Try Rock 'N' Roll
1964, 7", Single, Sho-Biz Corporation
Joe Barry
I Can't Do Without You / Can't Live With You
1964
Joe Barry
Lonelyest Boy In Town
1963, 7", Princess Records (5)
Joe Barry
Beg Your Pardon / Don't Close That Door
1963, 7", Single, Princess Records (5),
Joe Barry
Bouquet Of Roses
1963, 7", Single, Princess Records (5)
Joe Barry
Every Morning, Noon And Night / Yonder Comes A Sucker
1963, 7", Single, Princess Records (5)
Joe Barry
Four Leaf Clover
1962, 7", Single, Princess Records (5)
Joe Barry
Just Because / Little Jewel Of The Veaux Carre (Old Square)
1962, 7", Single, Smash Records (4)
Joe Barry
Little Papoose
1962
Joe Barry
Little Jewel Of The Vieux Carre / Just Because
1962
Joe Barry
Till The End Of The World / You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry
1961
Joe Barry
Teardrops In My Heart
1961, ,
Rock & Roll/Swamp Pop
Jay Epae / Joe Barry
Putti Putti / I'm A Fool To Care
1961
Josef Barrios*, Joe Barry
Je Suis Bet Pour T'Aimer (I'm A Fool To Care)
1960, 7", Single, Jin Records, ,
Swamp Pop
Joe Barry
I'm A Fool To Care / I Got A Feeling
1960
Joe Barry
Greatest Moment Of My Life / Heart Broken Love
1959, 7", Single, Jin Records
Joe Barry
Today I Started Loving You Again
7", Single, Crazy Cajun
Joe Barry / The G-Clefs
I'm A Fool To Care / Ka-Ding Dong
7", Good Old Gold
Joe Barry
I'm A Fool To Care / Teardrops In My Heart
7", Smash Records (4)
Joe Barry
A Fool To Care: Classic Recordings 1960-1977
2xCD, Comp, Ace
Don & Juan / Joe Barry
Too Fools Are We / I'm A Fool To Care
7", Single, Ripete, ,
Doo Wop
Joe Barry
Heartbroken Love
7", Single, Crazy Cajun, ,
Swamp Pop
Joe Barry
Sweet Rose Of Sharon
,
Gospel/Cajun
M83
DSVII
2019
Marty White
Gone & Lost (Why)
12", Dashama, ,
Disco/Hi NRG

APPEARANCES +


Jessy Garon & Friends
Hallelujah
1997, CD, Album, Pasenriver, ,
Rock & Roll/Blues Rock
Various
New Orleans Rhythm 'N Blues 1949-1967
1982, LP, Comp, Mono, Krazy Kat, Krazy Kat
Various
New Orleans R & B Volume One
1974
Buck Clayton's Buckeroos And Wild Bill Davidson's Bulldozers*
Singing Trumpets
1957, LP, Mono, Jazztone (2)
Various
Hard To Find Jukebox Classics - Stereo Explosion Volume 10: Sixties Classics 1960 - 65
2023, CD, Comp, RM, Hit Parade Records (4), ,
Ballad/Folk/Latin Pop/Pop Rock/Rhythm & Blues/Soul
Various
Best Of Houma Records 1966-1974 Volume 1
2023, LP, Album, Comp, S/Edition, Houma
Various
An Intro To Night Train New Orleans
2017, 16xFile, MP3, Comp, 320, Tuff City
Various
Swamp Pop -Sea of Love: The Ultimate Collection 1955-1962
2017, CD, Comp, Mono, Jasmine Records
Various
Don't Do It The Smash Records Story
2015, 2xCD, Comp, One Day Music,
Various
Summer Songs, Summer Love, Summer Fun
2015, 3xCD, Album, Comp, Fantastic Voyage,
Various
Great Songs Of The Heart - From The Fifties And Sixties
2015, 3xCD, Comp, Fantastic Voyage, ,
Rock & Roll/Vocal/Ballad
Various
The History Of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues 1955-1962
2014, 6xCD, Comp, Box, Rhythm & Blues Records, ,
Soul/Rhythm & Blues
Various
The Cosimo Matassa Story Volume 2 - Gumbo Ya Ya
2012, 4xCD, Comp + Box, Proper Records (2), ,
Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues
Various
1961 British Hit Parade Britain's Greatest Hits Volume 10 Part 2 June - December
2012, 6xCD, Comp, Fantastic Voyage, ,
Ballad/Blues Rock/Europop/Folk/J-pop/Pop Rock/Rhythm & Blues/Vocal
Various
1961 British Hit Parade - Britain's Greatest Hits Vol. 10, The B-sides - Part 2
2012, 4xCD, Comp, Acrobat, ,
Ballad/Rock & Roll/Vocal/Doo Wop
Various
50 Classics of Louisiana Sounds 1953-1966
2012, 2xCD, Comp, Mono, Jasmine Records
Various
1961 British Hit Parade - Britain's Greatest Hits Volume 10 - Part 2 April - September
2012, 4xCDr, Comp, Acrobat Music, ,
Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues/Easy Listening
Various
R&B Spotlight '61
2012
Various
New Orleans Will Rise Again
2005, CD, Comp, Night Train International,
Various
An Introduction To: Night Train New Orleans
2001, 2xCD, Comp, Smplr, Night Train International
Various
The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll Volume 9
2001, ,
Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues/Doo Wop
Various
Let's Go To Louisiana! - A Crazy Cajun Compilation
1999, CD, Comp, Edsel Records
Various
New Orleans Deep Roots - 50 Years Of Remarkable Music
1998, CD, Comp, Night Train International, ,
Louisiana Blues/Cajun/Bayou Funk
Various
New Orleans Popeye Party
1996, CD, Comp, Night Train International
Various
Treasured Tunes
1995, CD, Comp, Stardust Productions Inc.
Various
Sea Of Love - Louisiana Bayou Hits, 1950s-1960s
1990, CD, Comp, P-Vine Records
Various
The New Orleans Sound
1990, Cass, Comp, RM, Time Life Music, Warner Special Products
Various
The New Orleans Sound
1990, CD, ,
Rock & Roll/Delta Blues/Rhythm & Blues
Various
Country Memories
1989
Various
The Jin Story Volume 1: Bayou Boogie
1985, LP, Comp, Mono, Ace, ,
Country/Cajun/Rhythm & Blues/Zydeco
Various
My Skies Are Blue Again
1979, LP, Comp, 51 West Records & Tapes,
Various
Super Hits Country 1960's
1978
T-Bone Walker · Ivory Joe Hunter · Johnny Winter · Clarence Henry* · Barbara Lynn
The Hit-Kickers Series, Vol. 8 (A Special 3 Record Set Featuring...)
1976, 3xLP, Comp, Festival (8), ,
Country/Texas Blues/Electric Blues/Rhythm & Blues
Various
All-Time Smash Hits
1964, ,
Rock & Roll/Doo Wop
Various
22 Fantastic Hits - The Rock'n Roll Revival Show
LP, Comp, Greenville
Various
22 Golden Greats We All Remember
LP, Comp, Rejoice Records (4),
Various
20 Unforgetable Oldies Vol.24
LP, Comp, Not On Label
Various
On Bended Knee (The Birth Of Swamp Pop)
2xCD, Comp, Great Voices Of The Century (2), ,
Cajun/Swamp Pop
Various
Country Memories (Tape 2)
Cass, Comp, Dol, Reader's Digest, Reader's Digest, ,
Country
Various
美國風靡音樂 (第二十五集)
10", Comp, Unofficial, Universal Record