Introduction
Kathy Barr (born Marilyn Sultana Aboulafia; June 4, 1929 – June 21, 2008) was an American vocalist who performed and recorded popular music, jazz, musical theater, and operettas. Barr flourished during the 1950s in nightclubs, television, and radio. Barr was acclaimed for her soprano range and ability to sing pop, jazz, and classical. According to print media, she was a sexy, green-eyed, flaming redhead.
Selected discography
Popular
- Follow Me, RCA Victor (1957)
- The Dessert Song, RCA Victor (1958)
- Giorgio Tozzi & Barr, vocals
- Lehman Engel, conductor
Musical theater roles
- Marinka, as Marinka (leading soprano role)
- Winter Garden Theatre, New York
- Australia touring production
- Tivoli circuit, Melbourne: Opened May 28, 1948, at the Tivoli Theater, Melbourne
- At the age of 19, Barr was elevated to the role of Marinka after being the understudy for Kathryn Grayson
- Wizard of Oz, as Dorothy Gale (leading soprano role)
- Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, August 1 thru August 6, 1949
- "Operetta Opens at Tivoli" The Argus, May 29, 1948, pg. 3, col. 1
- "Tivoli Stage Shows to be Filmed Here", The Argus, April 5, 1948, pg. 3, cols. 1–3 (bottom)
Selected audio
- "The Dessert Song" on YouTube, from the operetta by the same name, composed by Sigmund Romberg
- Giorgio Tozzi & Barr, vocals
- RCA Victor (1958)
Personal
Kathy was born Marilyn Sultana Aboulafia to parents of Turkish and Spanish ancestry — her father had immigrated from Turkey. When she married Irwin M. Glickman (1930–2011), she ended the commercial aspect of her musical career and devoted herself to her family. She and Irwin had a daughter, Sylvia B. Glickman (born 1966). In 1958, she legally changed her to Kathy Barr.
Barr, from about April 1954 to 1956, had been married to Chicago nightclub owner and operator Milton L. Schwartz. That marriage ended by annulment.