Barry Ryan | |
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![]() Ryan performing in 2015 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Barry Sapherson |
Born | Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | 24 October 1948
Died | 28 September 2021 | (aged 72)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1964-2018 |
Labels |
Barry Ryan (born Barry Sapherson; 24 October 1948 – 28 September 2021), also known as Barry Davison, was an English pop singer and photographer. [1] [2] He achieved his initial success in the mid 1960s in a duo with his twin brother Paul. After Paul ceased performing to concentrate solely on songwriting, Barry became a solo artist. His most successful hit, " Eloise", reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968.
In the mid-1970s, he began his 40-year career as a fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for magazines such as Italian Vogue and David Bailey’s Ritz; he sold six photographs to the National Portrait Gallery; and he made portraits of celebrities such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Stephen Hawking, Sting, Paul McCartney, and Björk. [1]
Barry Ryan and his twin brother Paul were born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to pop singer Marion Ryan and antiques dealer Fred Sapherson. [2] Fred left when the twins were two and they were brought up until they were 11 by their grandmother. Both boys then boarded at Fulneck School in Pudsey, outside Leeds. [1]
When the boys were 16, the family moved to London. Their mother suggested they try a career as singers. Her boyfriend, later husband, impresario Harold Davison, managed the brothers; Paul and Barry signed with Decca Records in 1965 under the name of Paul & Barry Ryan. [1]
Within two years they had eight Top 50 singles in the UK. Their best sellers were "Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches", a number 13 hit in 1965, "I Love Her", a number 17 hit in 1966 and "Have Pity on the Boy", a number 18 hit the same year.[ citation needed]
Paul Ryan opted out of the stress of show business, and Barry continued as a solo artist, enabling his brother to stay out of the limelight and concentrate on writing songs. Their greatest achievement as a composer-singer duo, then for MGM Records, was " Eloise", a number 2 hit in 1968. Melodramatic and heavily orchestrated, it sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. [3] " Love Is Love", their next chart entry, also became a million-seller. [3]
Ryan was popular in Germany and France. The single "Red Man" reached number 2 in the French chart in 1971. [4] Promoted by Bravo, the German youth magazine, he recorded a number of songs in German. "Die Zeit macht nur vor dem Teufel halt" ("Time Only Stops for the Devil"; English recording as "Today" released on the album Red Man in 1971) peaked at number 8.[ citation needed]
Ryan stopped performing in the early 1970s. He made a comeback in the late 1990s when a two CD set with his and his brother's old songs was released.[ citation needed] Ryan was also part of the "Solid Silver '60s Tour" of the United Kingdom in 2003, singing "Eloise" backed by the Dakotas.[ citation needed]
Ryan maintained a successful career as a fashion photographer, from the late 1970s, and his photographs appeared in such magazines as Ritz and Zoom. In the 1990s, he worked on a photographic project commemorating his brother Paul. [5] Six of his photographic portraits were purchased by the National Portrait Gallery, London for its permanent collection in 1994. [6]
Ryan was briefly married to Tunku (Princess) Miriam binti al-Marhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim (born 1950), the only child of Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and his sixth wife, Sultana Marcella (née Marcella Mendl). [7] Married in 1976 and divorced in 1980, they had no children. [8]
Ryan's mother married Harold Davison [9] and, in 1984, he changed his name by deed poll to Barry Davison.[ citation needed]
In 1992, his brother, Paul, died of cancer.[ citation needed]
In 1995, Ryan married Christine Goodliff. They had a son and daughter. [2] Jack Davison (18 April 1995) and Sophia Davison (4 September 1996). [10]
Ryan died on 28 September 2021, after complications from a lung disorder. [1]