Barry McGuire - Early Life

Early Life

McGuire was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and moved to California in early childhood, when he was two years old. At age 16 he joined the United States Navy, but was discharged ten months later for being under age.

After working as a commercial fisherman, and then going on to become a journeyman pipe fitter, at age 25 McGuire got a job singing in a bar. In 1961, he released his first single called "The Tree", which was not a hit.

He formed a duo with Barry Kane called Barry & Barry. The new duo folk act performed their own brand of original folk arrangements—noticeably impressive melodies laced with rich harmonies—at The Ice House, a small folk club in Pasadena, CA. before moving on to The Troubadour in Hollywood in the spring of 1962. At The Troubadour they both joined The New Christy Minstrels, a large folk group performing there. They continued to perform their separate duo act there as well as performing with The New Christy Minstrels. They cut their first and only album as Barry & Barry called "Here And Now" which contained songs such as "Gold Wedding Ring", "Land Of Odin", "Another Man", "Summer's Over", "You Know My Name", "Bull 'Gine Run", "Far Side Of The Hill" and more. Their LP "Here And Now" on vinyl eventually went out of print, but has since been digitally remastered and rereleased on CD.

In 1963, McGuire along with Randy Sparks (the founder of The New Christy Minstrels) co-wrote, and sang lead vocal on, the Christys' first and biggest hit single: "Green, Green." He left the Christys in January 1965, after recording the album, Cowboys and Indians; however, on the 1965 album Chim Chim Cher-ee, he sang only on the title cut.