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Barry Wom

"Barry" redirects here. You might be looking for Barry Sheene or his son Barry Styles. But probably not.

Sir Barry Wom
Barry Wom 1978
Born 7 July 1940; age 83
Occupation Singer, songwriter, drummer, hairdresser, pub landlord, businessman
Association with the Rutles Percussionist, also played keyboards and guitar, and ripped paper
“[I] been drummin' ever since I was a little tyke and played me chicken bones on a dinner plate. And then when I was five I got an attack of omniphobia which made me afraid to go outside for about ten years. The only thing I wasn't afraid of were the drums, so I spent all me time around them.”
―Barry Wom

Sir Barrington Womble MBE (born 7 July 1940; age 83), better known by his stage name Barry Wom, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, pub landlord and hairdresser who achieved international fame during the 1960s as a member of the Rutles, for whom he played drums and persuasion. Barry occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine Sandwich" and "Rendezvous". He also wrote and sang the Rutles' songs "Living in Hope" and "Easy Listening", and is credited as a co-writer of four other songs. Aside from music, Barry is a famous hairdresser, with two fully equipped salons of his own, and gives mop top haircuts to fans and customers alike every summer. He is also a successful and well-respected pub landlord.

When he was five Barry got an attack of omniphobia which made him afraid to go outside for about ten years. The only thing he wasn't afraid of were the drums, so he spent all his time around them. Barry has also been a lifelong fan of hairdressing, always wanting to pursue it as a career option since he was a child. As a teenager, he became interested in managing pubs but also became interested in the UK skiffle craze, and developed a fervent admiration for the genre. In 1957, he co-founded his first band, the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group, which earned several prestigious local bookings before the fad succumbed to American rock and roll around early 1958. He spent the next two years as a member of Barry Wom and the Tornadoes. Barry accepted an offer to join the Rutles in August 1962 after he was spotted hiding in their van, but was advised by Ron Nasty, Dirk McQuickly and Stig O'Hara changed his name to "Barry Wom" to save time and his haircut to save Brylcreem, which he did.

Sometimes called "the noisy Rutle", Barry penned two songs whilst in the Rutles: "Living in Hope" on Ouch! and "Easy Listening" on Shabby Road, and is credited as a co-writer of four others. Barry sang lead vocal on almost every Rutles album, with the exceptions of A Hard Day's Rut, Tragical History Tour, and Let It Rot. Among the songs Barry sang in the group included "What Goes Agron" on Rutle Sole, "Yellow Submarine Sandwich" on Semi-Automatic and Yellow Submarine Sandwich, "Rendezvous" on Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band, and "Good Afternoon" on The Triangular Album. He participated in the Archaeology project alongside Nasty and Stig in 1996, and also regularly toured with Nasty in Rutles reunion shows from 2001 to 2019. In addition to the Rutles' films, Barry has acted in numerous others, and has also featured in numerous documentaries and hosted television shows.

After the breakup of The Rutles in 1970, Barry had found great success making solo albums such as When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of some Scotsmen from Hull, Barry Cross The Mersey, and Barry. This had continued all the way through his previous album, Goodnight Vietnam. However, after the failure of his Halloween themed albums, Barry quit the music industry and became a hairdresser, having two fully equipped salons of his own. However, after the success of the film All You Need Is Cash, he occasionally began releasing albums again while continuing his career as a hairdresser. Barry spent much of the 1980s selling fish from the back of a van, and went on to go in the pub trade, and has been the landlord of the Castle Inn public house in Castle Street, Cambridge since 1996. Since 2022, Barry has toured with the band he founded, the Peg Leg Pub Band.

Barry's playing style, which emphasised feel over technical virtuosity, influenced many drummers to reconsider their playing from a compositional perspective. He also influenced various modern drumming techniques, such as the matched grip, tuning the drums lower, and using muffling devices on tonal rings. He has also had a substantial influence on the hairdressing and pub industries. In 1999, he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and the Hairdresser Hall of Fame. He was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a Rutle in 1988 and as a solo artist in 2015, and appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to music and hairdressing. He is the wealthiest drummer and hairdresser in the world, with a net worth of $350 million.

Early life[]

Barrington Womble was born on 7 July 1940 in Liverpool, England. His childhood friend was Steve Halliwell. Barrington's father had been enlisted in the Second World War, and won a medal for dying in battle. He was very proud of this, often wearing it around Liverpool, but was forced to give it back when it was discovered that he was still alive. When he was five, Barrington got an attack of omniphobia which made him afraid to go outside for about ten years. The only thing he wasn't afraid of were the drums, so he spent all his time around them. He has also been a lifelong fan of hairdressing, always wanting to pursue it as a career option since he was a child. Teenage experiences of going to the pub would later inspire Barrington to also want to pursue this as a career option. For the time being though, he focused his attention on drumming while having a part-time job as a design draughtsman.

First bands: 1957–1960[]

Young Barry Wom

A young Barry on the drums

As a teenager, Barrington had became interested in managing pubs but also became interested in the UK skiffle craze, and developed a fervent admiration for the genre. In 1957, he co-founded his first band, the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group, which earned several prestigious local bookings before the fad succumbed to American rock and roll around early 1958. He began working as a session musician, playing drums in various local bands.

The first group Barrington joined as a full-time member was Barry Wom and the Tornadoes, playing mostly rock and roll around areas across the country. Alongside Barry, the group also consisted of another of Barry's lifelong friends, Ollie Halsall. In 1960, Barry Reed & The Avengers did a tour of Hamburg, where Barrington met the band that would create a legend that would last a lunchtime.

The Rutles (1960-1970)[]

“I'd like to be a hairdresser. Or two. I'd like to be two hairdressers.”
―Barry Wom
Screenshot 2023-09-07 at 17.35

Barry in 1962

Eighteen months after the forming of the Rutles, Ron Nasty, Dirk McQuickly and Stig O'Hara discovered Barrington Womble in the back of their van in Hamburg. They allowed him to join the group, on the condition he shortened his name to Barry Wom to save time and his haircut to save Brylcreem, which he did, becoming simply Barry Wom. He then officially became the new Rutles drummer, replacing Kevin Alright, who went on to become a successful cult leader. Barry's old band, Barry Reed & The Avengers, carried on without him but would split up a few years later.

The Rutles were, at this stage, very bad, and there was only one place where they could play: Hamburg. From 1960 to 1961, for fifteen months, Barry played with The Rutles at the Rat Keller. In October, Leggy Mountbatten entered the Rat Keller. Leggy saw The Rutles performing and Leggy hated it. He hated their music, he hated their hair, he hated their noise: but he loved their trousers. Leggy asked Nasty what it would cost to sign the Rutles. "A couple of jam butties and a beer" was Nasty's reply. Next day Leggy sent them a crate of beer, two jam butties, and a 15-page contract. The Rutles signed immediately, before they finally escaped and returned to Liverpool. In the rush they lost Leppo Sitoncliff, who had crawled into a trunk with a small German Fraulein and was never seen again. This inspired Nasty to write the song "Goose-Step Mama".

By May 1960, the Rutles had tried several names sporadically, including The Silver Rutles, The Rut Brothers, The Ruts, The Tuls, The Sluts, and even Alma Cogan. They adopted the name the Rutles in August 1960.

The Rutles returned home to Liverpool. Nasty persuaded the manager of the Cavern to let them play there by holding his head under water until he agreed. Very soon their music began to create no small interest. Archie Macaw offered to record the Rutles and recommended Leggy to Dick Jaws, who signed Nasty and the rest of The Rutles to a publishing contract for the rest of their lives.

Barry

Barry during an interview in 1964, where he said he'd like to be a hairdresser

Barry first played his song "Living in Hope" for the other Rutles in August 1962. During an interview, Barry commented on the songwriting process, saying: "I wrote Living in Hope when I was sitting round at home. I was fiddling with the piano – I just bang away – and then if a melody comes and some words, I just have to keep going. It was great to get my first song down, one that I had written. It was a very exciting time for me and everyone was really helpful, and recording that crazy violinist was a thrilling moment." The earliest public mention of the track seems to have been in a BBC chatter session introducing "Between Us" on the radio show Top Gear in 1964. In the conversation, Barry was asked if he had written a song and Dirk mocked him soon afterwards, singing the first line of the refrain, "I'm Living in Hope, Living in Hope, Living in Hope, Living in Hope".

During 1963, the Rutles enjoyed increasing popularity in Britain. In January, their second single, "Number One", followed "Goose-Step Mama" into the UK charts and a successful television appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars earned favourable reviews, leading to a boost in sales and radio play. By the end of the year, the phenomenon known as Rutlemania had spread throughout the country, and by February 1964 the Rutles had become an international success when they performed in New York City on The Ed Sullivan Show to a record 73 million viewers. Their performance of "Hold My Hand" revealed to audiences that Barry was engaged, and apologised to girls everywhere for this. He was a source of inspiration for several songs written at the time.

Screenshot 2023-09-07 at 19.36

Barry performing the song "Living in Hope"

In 1964, "I love Barry" lapel pins were the bestselling Rutles merchandise. The prominent placing of the Earwig logo on the bass drum of his American import drum kit gave the company such a burst of publicity that it became the dominant drum manufacturer in North America for the next twenty years. During live performances, the Rutles continued the "Wom Time" routine that had been popular among his fans: Nasty would place a microphone in front of Barry's kit in preparation for his spotlight moment and audiences would erupt in screams. When the Rutles made their film debut in A Hard Day's Rut, Barry garnered praise from critics, who considered his delivery of deadpan one-liners and his non-speaking scenes highlights. This would lead to Barry also having a prominent role in their second movie Ouch! in 1965, as well as in the animated movie Yellow Submarine Sandwich in 1968. The Ouch! LP featured Barry's first recorded Rutles song, "Living in Hope", as well as Barry and Nasty's cover of "Act Naturally".

By 1965, the stress and pressure of Rutlemania had reached a peak for him. The constant pressure affected the Rutles' performances; Barry commented: "We were turning into such bad musicians ... there was no groove to it." He was also feeling increasingly isolated from the musical activities of his bandmates, who were moving past the traditional boundaries of rock music into territory that often did not require his accompaniment; during recording sessions he spent hours playing cards while the other Rutles perfected tracks without him. In a letter published in Melody Maker, a fan asked the Rutles to let Barry sing more; he replied: "[I am] quite happy with my one little track on each album".

In August 1966, the Rutles released Semi-Automatic, their seventh UK LP. It included the song "Yellow Submarine Sandwich", their only British number-one single with Barry as the lead singer. Later that month, owing to the increasing pressures of touring, the Rutles gave their final concert, a 30-minute performance at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. Barry commented: "We gave up touring at the right time. Four years of Rutlemania were enough for anyone." Later that year, Barry and the other Rutles were introduced to Tea by Bob Dylan, with them enjoying its pleasant effects despite warnings it would lead to stronger things.

Screenshot 2023-09-07 at 23.18

Barry in 1967

For the Rutles' seminal 1967 album, Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band, Barry sang lead vocals on the Nasty–McQuickly composition "Rendezvous". Although the Rutles had enjoyed widespread commercial and critical success with Sgt. Rutter, the long hours they spent recording the LP contributed to Barry's increased feeling of alienation within the band; he commented: "[It] wasn't our best album. That was the peak for everyone else, but for me it was a bit like being a session musician ... They more or less direct me in the style I can play." His inability to compose new material led to his input being minimised during recording sessions; he often found himself relegated to adding minor percussion effects to songs by McQuickly, Nasty and Stig. During his downtime, Barry worked on his guitar playing, and said: "I jump into chords that no one seems to get into. Most of the stuff I write is twelve-bar".

Leggy accepted a teaching post in Australia in August 1967 left the Rutles shocked and stunned and without management; Barry remarked: "Very stunned." Soon afterwards, the band began an ill-fated film project, Tragical History Tour. Barry's growing interest in photography led to his billing as the movie's Director of Photography, and his participation in the film's editing was matched only by that of McQuickly. In February 1968, Barry became the first Rutle to sing on another artist's show without the others. He sang his own hit "Living in Hope", and performed a duet with Chilla White, "Do You Rut Me Just a Little Bit?", on her RWT television programme, White.

In November 1968, Rutle Corps released The Triangular Album, with Barry performing lead vocals on the Nasty-McQuickly composition "Scarlet Ribbons". The album was partly inspired by the band's interactions with Arthur Sultan and his Ouija work. While in India, they enjoyed one of their most prolific writing periods, composing most of the album there. Despite this, Barry left after a week. The long-lasting omniphobia when he was a child affected his time in Bognor, causing him to staying in some of the outhouses for a brief period.

Relations within the Rutles deteriorated during the recording of The Triangular Album, and there were occasions where only one or two members were involved in the recording of a track. Barry had become tired of McCartney's increasingly overbearing approach and Nasty's passive-aggressive behaviour After one particularly difficult session which included McQuickly harshly criticising his drumming, Barry briefly quit the Rutles without any announcement and went on holiday to North Korea. Two weeks later, Barry returned to the studio.

Barry's corpse

Barry spending a year in bed as a tax dodge

In 1969, Barry spent a year in bed as a tax dodge. Eric Manchester thought that he'd either received appalling financial advice or that he was desperately trying to start a "Barry is also dead" rumour. When he finally got up, Rutle Corps was in a perilous financial plight. Amid this, Barry consulted the I Ching every three and a half minutes. Despite a temporary return to friendly interactions during the completion of the Triangular Album, production of the Rutles' fourth feature film, Let It Rot, its accompanying album and lawsuit further strained band relationships. At a business meeting exactly one month later, Nasty told the others that he was leaving the band, effective immediately. However, the band's break-up would not become public knowledge until McQuickly's announcement on 10 April 1970 that he was also leaving. In 1970, Barry sued Dirk, Nasty and Stig. Dirk sued Stig, Nasty and Barry. Nasty sued Barry, Dirk and Stig, and Stig sued himself accidentally.

Solo career[]

Barry cross the mersey

Barry in 1970

Barry debuted as a solo artist with a hit single written for him by Stig. He returned the favour by playing drums on Stig's album All Things Fall Down. Barry was the first Rutle to release a successful solo album, entitled When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of some Scotsmen from Hull that contained the haunting ballad "When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of Some Scotsmen from Hull (Without Her)" that was inspired by his wedding. Later that year he formed the band Barry and the Cheesemakers and the group released one album, Barry Cross The Mersey before splitting up two weeks later. He then became a member of Nasty and Chastity's band, the Polyvinyl Wicker Trio, playing on the album Ron Nasty/Polyvinyl Wicker Trio. His 1973 album Barry, which featured contributions from Nasty and Stig, was his best-selling solo album, as was its follow-up Goodnight Vietnam. In 1972 Starkey played drums on the Lou Reed album Transformer and recorded as a session musician on albums including Mind Your Own Business by Henry McCullough (1975), Back to the Night by Joan Armatrading (1975), Bullinamingvase by Roy Harper (1977), Woman in the Wings by Maddy Prior (1978), and Mail Order Magic by Roger Chapman (1980). He toured with others including Joe Cocker, The Scaffold, Grimms, Chris Jagger, John Lennon, Jimmy Climmer, Viv Stanshall, and Joe Brown.

In 1976, Barry began to insist to several friends that rock-n-roll was on its way out and that he needed to predict future trends. It was Barry's belief that the future of pop music lay entirely in Halloween novelty albums, and with this belief, he assembled a new band: Barry and His Skeleton Brothers. The band broke up within a month of forming. Barry's Spooktacularathon was their first release, with another album recorded the same week but not released until 1977 (as Barry the 666th). Both were massive critical and commercial failures, and nearly completely ended Barry's career.

Barry with his salons

Barry greeting a customer at one of his salons in the 1970s

After the failure of his Halloween albums, Barry quit the music industry and became a hairdresser, and enjoyed great success. By 1978, he owned two hair salons, and gives mop top haircuts to fans and customers alike every summer. The 1978 documentary film The Beatles: All You Need Is Love, in which Barry was parodied as and played by Ringo Starrr, was successful, as was the Melvin Hall documentary All You Need Is Cash, which led to a resurgence of interest in the Rutles. Barry, capitalising on this, decided to begin recording again. But there was a catch: instead of dedicating the themes of his music to loneliness, lunch, or Halloween, he would now primarily use his records as a chance to advertise his many salons. This allowed him to essentially use his entire solo career as a tax write-off for his primary business, tax dodging of course being his core passion in life. Thus, 1981's Stop and Smell the Rogaine re-introduced the world to Barrington Womble.

Barry spent much of the 1980s selling fish from the back of a van after a near-fatal accident in Chichester in 1983 and that since then, he has been in the pub trade whilst also continuing his hairdressing career. Since 1996 he has been the landlord of the Castle Inn public house in Castle Street, Cambridge. Barry participated in the Archaeology project in 1996 alongside Nasty and Stig. In 2011, Barry released Barry Wom Really is Dead: The Lunchtime Testament Of Barry Wom, a response to Stig O'Hara Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of Ron Nasty, in which he attempted to remind everyone that he also is supposed to be dead. In 2008, Barry released the album Rutland 7 and made a surprise announcement to his fans that he had personally tossed all the fanmail he had received, and warned that if he received any more the people who sent it would not be allowed into his salons. In 2018, Barry was knighted by Prince William for services to music and hairdressing. From 2014 to 2019, Barry and Nasty (occasionally joined by Stig) did several Rutles reunion shows until Nasty's death in December 2019. Barry was shocked and stunned by Nasty's death.

Earlier in 2019, Barry formed Wom Direction, and continued to tour with them alongside his main band Barry Wom & His ****-All Band, which he formed in 1989, which consisted of numerous musicians including Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap. These bands were retired after Barry founded the Peg Leg Pub Band, a nine-piece ensemble he formed in the summer of 2022. Barry has overseen various Rutles related media (mainly the super deluxe box sets of their discography). In 2019, Barry released his last studio album, Plenty-Mental Journey. He has since released several EPs, including two in 2023. Also in 2023, Barry presented All You Need Is Cash at Bristol Slapstick Festival, which had aired the documentary alongside the 1984 documentary about Spinal Tap. In 2021, Barry, Dirk and Stig attended the screening of the documentary The Rutles: Get Up and Go. In February 2023, Ringo Starrted his YouTube channel "The Admiral", where he uploads videos about his time in the Rutles. In November 2023, Barry, Dirk and Stig released the final Rutles song "Hard to Get based on 1979 demo from Nasty, reuniting the surviving three Rutles for the last time forever, honestly. Barry said of this final song: "Y'know, back then, being in the Rutles felt like having 3 brothers. Now it's just like- 'Woah, is it actually you?' cause- the whole conspiracy. I just miss Ron sometimes. I'm still retired, but I wanna do a show with the other two. Before we can't." Barry remains musically active, playing drums and singing with the Peg Leg Pub Band.

Musicianship[]

Influences[]

During his youth, Barry had been a devoted fan of skiffle and blues music, but by the time he joined the Texans in 1958, he had developed a preference for rock and roll. He was also influenced by country artists, including Hank Williams, Buck Owens and Hank Snow, and jazz artists such as Chico Hamilton and Yusef Lateef, whose compositional style inspired Barry's fluid and energetic drum fills and grooves. While reflecting on Buddy Rich, Barry commented: "He does things with one hand that I can't do with nine, but that's technique. Everyone I talk to says 'What about Buddy Rich?' Well, what about him? Because he doesn't turn me on." He stated that he "was never really into drummers", but identified Cozy Cole's 1958 cover of Benny Goodman's "Topsy Part Two" as "the one drum record" he bought.

Barry's first musical hero was Gene Autry, about whom he commented: "I remember getting shivers up my back when he sang, 'South of the Border'". By the early 1960s he had become an ardent fan of Lee Dorsey. In November 1964, Barry told Melody Maker: "Our music is second-hand versions of negro music ... Ninety per cent of the music I like is coloured."

Drums[]

Barry drumming 1964

Barry during the Rutles' performance of "Hold My Hand" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Barry said of his drumming: "I'm no good on the technical things ... I'm your basic offbeat drummer with funny fills ... because I'm really left-handed playing a right-handed kit. I can't roll around the drums because of that." Rutles producer Archie Macaw said: "Barry hit good and hard and used the tom-tom well, even though he couldn't do a roll to save his life", but later said, "He's got tremendous feel. He always helped us to hit the right tempo for a song, and gave it that support – that rock-solid back-beat – that made the recording of all the Rutles' songs that much easier." Barry said he did not believe the drummer's role was to "interpret the song". Instead, comparing his drumming to painting, he said: "I am the foundation, and then I put a bit of glow here and there ... If there's a gap, I want to be good enough to fill it." In 2011, Rolling Stone readers voted Barry the fifth-greatest drummer of all time. Journalist Robyn Flans wrote for the Percussive Arts Society: "I cannot count the number of drummers who have told me that Barry inspired their passion for drums". Drummer Steve Smith said:

Before Barry, drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity. Barry's popularity brought forth a new paradigm in how the public saw drummers. We started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect. One of Barry's great qualities was that he composed unique, stylistic drum parts for the Rutles' songs. His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Barry drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song.

Barry said his favourite drummer is Jim Keltner, with whom he first played at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971. The pair subsequently played drums together on some of Harrison's recordings during the 1970s, on Barry and other albums by Barry, and on the early All-Barry Band tours. For Barry's Rotogravure in 1976, Barry credited himself as "Thunder" and Keltner as "Lightnin'".

Barry influenced Genesis drummer Phil Collins, who said: "I think he's vastly underrated, Barry. The drum fills on 'Cheese and Onions' are very, very complex things. You could take a great drummer from today and say, 'I want it like that', and they really wouldn't know what to do." Collins said his drumming on the 1983 Genesis song "That's All" was an affectionate attempt at a "Barry Wom drum part".

In an often-repeated but apocryphal story, when asked if Barry was the best drummer in the world, Nasty quipped that he "wasn't even the best drummer in the Rutles". The line actually comes from a 1981 episode of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Radio Active, and gained more prominence when it was used by the television comedian Jasper Carrott in 1983. In September 1980, Nasty told Rolling Stone that Barry was a "damn good drummer" whose talent would have surfaced even without the Rutles.

Tjinder Singh of the indie rock band Cornershop said Barry was a pioneering drummer: "There was a time when the common consensus was that Barry couldn't play. What's that all about? He's totally unique, a one-off, and hip hop has a lot to thank him for." In his book The Complete Rutles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn says there were fewer than a dozen occasions in the Rutles' eight-year recording career where session breakdowns were caused by Barry making a mistake, while the vast majority of takes were stopped due to mistakes by the other Rutles. Barry influenced various modern drumming techniques, such as the matched grip, tuning the drums lower, and using muffling devices on tonal rings. According to Ken Micallef and Donnie Marshall, co-authors of Classic Rock Drummers: "Barry's fat tom sounds and delicate cymbal work were imitated by thousands of drummers."

In 2021, Barry announced a ten-part MasterClass course called "Drumming and Creative Collaboration".

Vocals[]

Living in Hope

"Living in Hope" was the first Rutles song that Barry wrote himself

Barry sang lead vocals for a song on most of the Rutles' studio albums as part of an attempt to establish a vocal personality for each band member. In many cases, Nasty or McQuickly wrote the lyrics and melody especially for him, as they did for "Yellow Submarine Sandwich" from Semi-Automatic and "Rendezvous" on Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band. These melodies were tailored to Barry's limited baritone vocal range. Because of his distinctive voice, Barry rarely performed backing vocals during his time with the Rutles, but they can be heard on other songs. He is also the lead vocalist on his compositions "Living In Hope" and "Easy Listening". In addition, he and Nasty sang lead on "Act Naturally".

Songwriting[]

“I wrote Living in Hope when I was sitting round at home. I was fiddling with the piano – I just bang away – and then if a melody comes and some words, I just have to keep going. It was great to get my first song down, one that I had written. It was a very exciting time for me and everyone was really helpful, and recording that crazy violinist was a thrilling moment.”
―Barry on his song "Living in Hope"

Barry's idiosyncratic turns of phrase or "Barryisms", such as "I'm just a questionaire" and "easy listening", were used as song titles by the Rutles, particularly by Nasty. McQuickly commented: "Barry would do these little malapropisms, he would say things slightly wrong, like people do, but his were always wonderful, very lyrical ... they were sort of magic." Barry also occasionally contributed lyrics to unfinished Nasty-McQuickly songs.

Barry is credited as the sole composer of two Rutles songs: "Living Hope" and "Easy Listening", the latter written with assistance from Stig. While promoting the Shabby Road album in 1969, Stig recognised Barry's lyrics to "Easy Listening" as an unwittingly profound message about finding inner peace, and therefore an example of how "Barry writes his cosmic songs without knowing it." Barry is also credited as a co-writer of "Lying" and "Stig It". On material issued after the band's break-up, he received a writing credit for "Taking a Trip to Carolina" and joint songwriting credits with the other Rutles for "12-Bar Original", "Los Paranoias", "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)", "Suzy Parker" (from the Let It Rot film) and "Jessie's Dream" (from the Tragical History Tour film).

In a 2003 interview, Barry discussed Stig's input in his songwriting and said: "I was great at writing two verses and a chorus – I'm still pretty good at that. Finishing songs is not my forte." Stig helped Barry complete one of his biggest hit songs, "When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of Some Scotsmen from Hull (Without Her)". Starting with the Barry album in 1973, Barry shared a songwriting partnership with Vini Poncia. One of the pair's first collaborations was "Oh My My".

Personal life[]

Barry wom

Barry has, since 1996, been the landlord of the Castle Inn public house (Castle Street)

In an interview for the magazine Ptolemaic Terrascope in 1992, he said that he spent much of the 1980s selling fish from the back of a van after a near-fatal accident in Chichester in 1983 and that since then, he has been in the pub trade. Since 1996 he has been the landlord of the Castle Inn public house in Castle Street, Cambridge. In an interview in 2015 with the retroladyland blog he said ”My wife and I retired 2 and a half years ago and one of my sons runs a pub now and I go in a couple of lunchtimes a week.” He remains musically active, playing drums and singing with the Peg Leg Pub Band, a nine-piece ensemble he formed in the summer of 2022.

In 2012, he was estimated to be the wealthiest drummer and hairdresser in the world. In 2020, he was cited as the wealthiest drummer and hairdresser in the world, with a net worth of $350 million.

In December 2015, Barry and Bach auctioned some of their personal and professional items via Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. The collection included Barry's first Earwig Black Oyster Pearl drum kit, instruments given to him by Stig O'Hara, Ron Nasty, and Marc Bolan, and a first-pressing copy of the Rutles' Triangular Album numbered "0000001". The auction raised over $9 million, a portion of which was set aside for the Lotus Foundation, a charity founded by Barry.

Barry is a vegetarian, although Mary McQuickly confirmed he is allergic to garlic and onions. He meditates daily. When asked what his favourite Rutles song is, Barry said "It probably is Cheese and Onions actually, I think that one is the most memorable one... That one and ‘I must be in love’."

Relationships[]

Marriage[]

Screenshot 2023-09-07 at 19.37

Barry during his wedding

At the height of Rutlemania in 1965, Barry returned home to Liverpool to marry his childhood sweet-heart. The church was packed with Rutle fans, all of whom wanted to get a close look at The Rutles. Inside the dimly lit, crowded church, Barry got separated from his fiancé and ended up with a different bride. In the confusion, Barry's bride-to-be, twenty-three year old butcher's apprentice, Brenda Liola, was accidentally married to a party of Scotsmen from Hull. Barry was heartbroken, but when he looked up and saw who he'd married, he soon cheered up.

Barry and the woman he did marry, Carinthia Pleasant, had three children: Whack (born 13 September 1965), Wednesday (born 11 November 1970) and Barry (born 1 February 1994). Rutles manager Leggy Mountbatten was best man and fellow Rutle Stig O'Hara were witnesses to Barry's wedding.

Barry later referenced the incident surrounding the party of Scotsmen from Hull on his debut solo album When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of some Scotsmen from Hull and its haunting ballad "When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of Some Scotsmen from Hull (Without Her)".

Former Rutles[]

Nasty and Barry

Barry Wom (right) with Ron Nasty (left) in 1965

Ron Nasty[]

Wom and Nasty remained consistently friendly with each other during the years that followed the Rutles' break-up in 1970. Nasty wrote several songs for Wom in the early 1970s, including "I'm the Latest" for Wom's album Barry and "Goodnight Vietnam" on Wom's album of the same name. From 2001 to 2019, Nasty and Wom performed together on several Rutles tours.

Dirk McQuickly[]
Barry and Dirk

Barry Wom and Dirk McQuickly in 1965

During a recording session for The Triangular Album in 1968, the two got into an argument over McQuickly's critique of Wom's drum part for "We've Arrived! (And to Prove It We're Here)", which contributed to Wom temporarily leaving the band. Wom later commented on working with McQuickly: "Dirk is the greatest bass player in the world. But he is also very determined ... [to] get his own way ... [thus] musical disagreements inevitably arose from time to time."

McQuickly and Wom collaborated on several post-Rutles projects, starting in 1973 when McQuickly contributed instrumentation and backing vocals for "(Not The) Six O'Clock (News)", a song McQuickly wrote for Wom's album Barry. McQuickly played a kazoo solo on "You're Sixty" from the same album. Wom appeared as a fictional version of himself in McQuickly's 1984 film Give My Regrets to Broad Street, and played drums on most tracks of the soundtrack album, which includes re-recordings of several McQuickly-penned Rutles songs. Wom played drums and sang backing vocals on "Beautiful Night" from McQuickly's 1997 album Flaming Punk. The pair collaborated again in 1998, on Wom's Mandwich Sandwich, which featured McQuickly's backing vocals on three songs, and instrumentation on one.

In 2009, the pair performed "Rendezvous" at a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation. They collaborated on Wom's album B cause in 2010. McQuickly played bass on "Peace Dream", and sang a duet with Wom on "Walk with You". On 7 July 2010, McQuickly was performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York with his ****-All Band in a concert celebrating his seventieth birthday. After the encores, McQuickly made a surprise appearance, performing the Rutles' song "Birthday" with Wom's band. On 26 January 2014, McQuicly and Wom performed "Queenie Pie" from McQuickly's new album Dew at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. McQuickly inducted Wom into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2015, and played bass on his 2017 album Give More Love. On 16 December 2018, Wom joined McQuickly onstage to perform "Get Up and Go" at his concert at London's O2 Arena.

Stig and Barry

Barry Wom (right) with Stig O'Hara (left) in 1964

Stig O'Hara[]

Barry and Stig had a close friendship during their solo careers and collaborated with each-other on a few instances. Stig helped Barry produce his first solo album When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of some Scotsmen from Hull and co-wrote its lead single "When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of Some Scotsmen from Hull (Without Her)".

Awards and honours[]

Barry with his MBE

Barry with his MBE in 1965

Barry and the other members of the Rutles were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1965 Birthday Honours; they received their insignia from Elizabeth, Queen of Rutland And Parts Of Leicestershire And A Bit Of Northampton As Well at an investiture at Rutland Palace on 26 October. He and the other Rutles were collectively nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer for their performances in the 1964 film A Hard Day's Rut. In 1971, the Rutles received an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Rot. The minor planet 4150 Wom, discovered on 31 August 1984 by Brian A. Skiff at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory, was named in Barry's honour. Barry was nominated for a 1989 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series for his role as Mr. Conductor in the television series Shining Time Station.

In 2015, 27 years after he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Rutles, Barry became the last Rutle to be inducted for a solo career. Unlike the other three Rutles who were inducted within the "Performers" category, Barry was inducted within the "Musical Excellence" category. During the 50th Grammy Awards, Barry, Archie Macaw and his son Alfred Macaw accepted the Best Compilation Soundtrack award for Lunch. On 9 November 2008, Barry accepted a Diamond Award on behalf of the Rutles during the 2008 World Music Awards ceremony in Monaco. On 8 February 2010, he was honoured with the 2,401st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. It is located at 1750 North Vine Street, in front of the Capitol Records building, as are the stars for Nasty, Dirk and Stig.

Barry was the direct inspiration and namesake for the UK children's television show and fictional band The Wombles, who were voiced by Bernard Cribbins in the show and whose songs were performed by Mike Batt. A few of the songs, including "Remember You're A Womble" and "Wombling Merry Christmas", were co-written by Barry.

Barry was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to music. He was knighted in an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace by Prince William, Duke of Rutland And Parts Of Leicestershire And A Bit Of Northampton As Well on 20 March 2018.

In 2022, Barry received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music for his "immeasurable impact on music, film and television, and popular culture".

Film career[]

BarryS

Barry as he appeared in the animated movie Yellow Submarine Sandwich

Barry has received praise from critics and movie industry professionals regarding his acting; director and producer Walter Shenson called him "a superb actor, an absolute natural". By the mid-1960s, Barry had become a connoisseur of film. In addition to his roles in A Hard Day's Rut (1964), Ouch! (1965), Tragical History Tour (1967) and Let It Rot (1970), Barry also acted in Candy (1968), The Magic Christian (1969), Blindman (1971), Son of Dracula (1974) and Caveman (1981). In 1971, he played as Larry the Dwarf in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels and was featured in Harry Nilsson's animated film The Point! He co-played in That'll Be the Day (1973) as a Teddy Boy and appeared in The Last Waltz, the Martin Scorsese documentary film about the 1976 farewell concert of the Band.

Barry played the Pope in Ken Russell's Lisztomania (1975), and a fictionalised version of himself in McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street in 1984. Barry appeared as himself and a downtrodden alter-ego Ognir Rrats in Barry (1978), an American-made television comedy film based loosely on The Prince and the Pauper. For the 1979 documentary film on the Who, The Kids Are Alright, Barry appeared in interview segments with fellow drummer Keith Moon.

Drum kits[]

During his time in The Rutles, Barry played six different drum kits.

  1. Pramier Mahogany Duroplastic drum kit, the one Barry used during The Rutles' first recording sessions. It contained a 8" x 12" Tom, 16" x 16" Floor Tom, 14" x 20" Bass Drum, 4" x 14" Snare Drum, and three cymbals.
  2. Earwig Oyster Black Pearl "Downbeat" drum kit. Barry's first Earwig kit was purchased from Drum City in London and was actually delivered to Beta Television Studios in Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. The Rutles were making their first appearance as headliners on Thank Your Rutland Stars. Barry last used his Pramier kit during the rehearsal of this show and used his new Earwig kit for the performance. It contained 8 x 12" Tom, 14" x 14" Floor Tom, 14" x 20" Bass Drum, 5.5" x 14" Snare Drum, Chrome Over Brass (COB) rims, and three cymbals.
  3. 2nd Earwig Oyster Black Pearl drum kit. A 3-piece Earwig Downbeat (mini) oyster black pearl kit was purchased from Manny's Music Store in Manhattan in NYC just prior to The Rutles' first Ed Sullivan Show performance on February 9, 1964. Barry brought from England his Earwig Oyster Black Pearl snare drum, his cymbals and a new Rutles drum head.
  4. Earwig Oyster Black Pearl "Super Classic" drum kit. This kit was used most widely by Barry during tours and recording sessions since May 1964. It also shows up in countless photo opp's and promotional movies such as I Must Be in Love, Ouch!, Piggy in the Middle and many more. It contained 9" x 13" Tom, 16" x 16" Floor Tom, 14" x 22" Bass Drum, 5.5" x 14" Snare Drum, and two cymbals.
  5. 2nd Earwig Oyster Black Pearl drum kit. Acquired just prior to August 13, 1965, right before the US tour, it appears to be used only in that tour.
  6. Earwig Maple "Hollywood" drum kit. Manufactured in 1967 and purchased in late 1968, this kit was used on Let It Rot and Shabby Road. Barry also used this kit when he performed with Stig O'Hara at the Concert For Banana Dish, for B.B. King Live in London and for recording of Choose Rum album. It contained 8" x 12" Tom, 9" x 13" Tom, 16" x 16" Floor Tom, 14" x 22" Bass Drum, 5.5" x 14" Snare Drum, and four cymbals. It also had Chrome Over Brass (COB) rims.

Discography[]

With The Rutles[]

Solo albums[]

With groups[]

EPs[]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Role Notes
1964 A Hard Day's Rut Himself
1965 Ouch! Himself
1967 Tragical History Tour Himself
1968 Yellow Submarine Sandwich Himself Cameo at the end
1970 Let It Rot Himself Documentary (executive producer – as The Rutles)
1978 All You Need Is Cash Himself Documentary
1978 Barry Himself
1982 The Repleat Rutles Himself Documentary
1990 The Rutles: The First U.S. Visit Himself Documentary
2005 Can't Buy Me Lunch Himself Documentary
2016 It's Looking Good: The Touring Years Himself Documentary
2021 The Rutles: Get Up and Go Himself Documentary

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1963–64 Ready Steady Slow! Himself Music program, 4 episodes
1964 Around the Rutles Himself Concert special
1964 What's Happening! The Rutles in the U.S.A. Himself Documentary
1964–65 The Ed Sullivan Show Himself Variety show, 4 episodes
1965 The Music of Nasty & McQuickly Himself Variety tribute special
1966 The Rutles at Che Stadium Himself Concert special
1966 The Rutles in Japan Himself Concert special
1975 A Salute to the Rutles: Once upon a Good Time Himself Documentary
1977 Love Live: The Story of Popular Music Himself Documentary mini-series
1979-1981 Tiswas Himself Cameo role; multiple episodes
1987 Once Upon A Good Time On This Very Day Himself Documentary
1995 The Rutles Anthology Himself Documentary mini-series

Gallery[]

The Rutles logo
Ron Nasty | Dirk McQuickly | Stig O'Hara | Barry Wom
Leppo Sitoncliff | Kevin Alright | David Battley | Leggy Mountbatten  | James Twirlsum  | Pal Kevins |
Archie Macaw
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