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Discorama
1959 · Talk
Barry Ryan (born Barry Sapherson; 24 October 1948 – 28 September 2021), and also known as Barry Davison, was a British pop singer and photographer. 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. Barry's most successful hit, "Eloise", reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1968.
In the mid-1970s, Barry 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.
Barry Ryan was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of pop singer Marion Ryan and antiques dealer Fred Sapherson. Fred left when Barry and Paul were two; they were brought up until they were 11 by their grandmother. Then, both boys boarded at Fulneck School in Pudsey, outside Leeds.
When the boys were 16, the family moved to London. Their mother suggested they try a career as singers. Her boyfriend and then husband, impresario Harold Davison, managed the brothers; Paul and Barry signed with Decca Records in 1965 under the name of Paul & Barry Ryan.
Within two years they had amassed 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.
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. "Love Is Love", their next chart entry, also became a million-seller.
