Glenn Yarbrough is a true American Original. Touching audiences worldwide with his distinctive voice for over fifty years, he sings with a conviction and depth of feeling that is seldom equaled in music today. Now in his seventies,
Glenn’s work is marked by introspection, maturity and
wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of adventures. His high,
clear tenor has ripened and mellowed with the years into
an instrument of warmth and beauty. Not one to bow to
convention, Glenn has lived the kind of life most people
dream about. After serving in Korea, Glenn returned home
to Greenwich Village where the new folk music scene was about to be born. Soon thereafter, an old college friend called because he wanted to start a record label with Glenn as its first artist. Glenn agreed and they decided on a name for the fledgling company-Elektra Records. Glenn’s album was the first for what would become a successful major label.
Glenn soon left New York for South Dakota where his father needed help running a resort. While there, he became the musical host of one of the first local television programs broadcast in the state. But his restless heart eventually led him back to the big city and points west. By the late fifties, Glenn had settled in Aspen, Colorado. He purchased a small nightclub there called the Limelite. Within a year, Glenn met two men who would have a profound influence on his life, Alex Hassilev and Lou Gottlieb. Each had been working as a solo act, but Glenn soon realized that together they possessed a synergy that was magic. They became The Limeliters, and were soon catapulted to national fame. After a number of spectacular years together, Glenn left to fulfill his dream of sailing around the world: Glenn began to prepare his boat for a 10-year sail. But RCA Victor came and asked Glenn to make one album alone. That album, “Time To Move On”, became a hit and his sailing adventure was put on hold for the time being. By 1967 he had recorded a long list of successful albums including “Baby The Rain Must Fall”, which was a number one hit for months. Glenn’s star continued to rise, propelled by his unforgettable voice and sincere interpretations. His success was culminated in the mid ‘70’s by his collaboration with Rod McKuen. Rod’s book, Stanyon Streets and Other Sorrows, published and edited by Glenn, became #1 on the best seller’s list. At the same time, Glenn’s recording of “The Lonely Things” became his biggest album ever. |