While there was a period where Barry White wasn't releasing records or making the pop charts, he did stay active touring and appearing on other artists' records including Quincy Jones' "The Secret Garden(The Seduction Suite)", Regina Belle and rap star Big Daddy Kane "All Of Me".

It's suprising to find out that such an illustrious career almost didn't happen because White wasn't interested in being a recording artist. White made his first record when he was 16 with a group called The Upfronts. The song was called "Little Girl" on a local LA label called Lummtone Records. Later he worked for various independent labels around Los Angeles landing an A&R position with Bob Keene, the man who first recorded Sam Cooke. His label, Keen Records was hot at the time with a group called the Bobby Fuller Four in 1966. White was hired for $40 a week to do A&R for Keene's other labels Mustang and Bronco. During this time, White flirted with the idea of being a recording artist making a record for Bronco called "All In The Run Of a Day". But he chose to stick with his A&R duties. One of the first groups he worked with was the Versatiles whom later changed their name to the Fifth Dimension. White's first big hit came from an artist familiar to dance-floor denizens. Viola Wills whose "Lost Without The Love Of My Guy" went Top Twenty R&B. His salary went up to $60 a week. White started working with the Bobby Fuller Four. Bob Keene and Larry Nunes-who later became White's spiritual advisor and true friend wanted to cut a female act. White had heard about a singer named Felice Taylor. They had three hit records, It May Be Winter Outside, I'm Under The Influence Of Love and I Feel Love Coming On. They were huge hits in England. White started making $400 a week!

When Bronco went out of business, White began doing independent production. Those were some lean times for White. Veteran arranger Gene Page, who would later arrange or co-arrange White's hits, helped him out giving him work and non-repayable loans. Then three years later, Paul Politti, who also worked at Bronco, contacted him to tell him that Larry Nunes was interested in starting a business with him. Nunes had started cutting tracks for a concept album he was working on. Meanwhile White had started working with this girl group who hadn't done any singing professionally. They rehearsed for almost a year. White wrote "Walkin' In The Rain (With The One I Love)" with lyrics that were inspired by conversations with one of the singers, Glodean. White christened the group, Love Unlimited.

Larry Nunes took the record to Russ Regan, who was the head of the Uni label owned by MCA. The album Love Unlimited's From A Girl's Point Of View became a million seller. Soon after, Regan left Uni for 20th Century Records. Without Regan, White's relationship with Uni soured.

With his relationship with Uni in chaos and Love Unlimited contract- bound with the label, White decided he needed to work with another act. He wanted to work with a male artist. He made three song demos of himself singing and playing the piano. Nunes heard them and insisted that he re-record and release them as a recording artist. They argued for days about it. Then he somehow convinced White to do it.

White was still hesitate up to the time the label copy(credits) were made. He was going to use the name White Heat. But the record became the first Barry White album. That first album was 1973's "I've Got So Much To Give"on 20th Century Records. It included the title track, and "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby".

White got a release from Uni for Love Unlimited and they joined him over at 20th Century Records. Then he had a brainstorm for another concept album. He told Regan he wanted to do an instrumental album. Regan thought he had lost it. White wanted to call it The Love Unlimted Orchestra. The single, "Love's Theme" went to Number One Pop, was a million-seller and was a smash all over the world". The song earned him a BMI award for over "3 million" covers.

For the next five years, from 1974 to 1979, there was no stopping the Barry White Hit Train. His own Stone Gon, Barry White Sings Love Songs For The One You Love("It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me""Playing Your Game Baby"), Let The Music Play (Title track, "You See The Trouble With Me") Just Another Way To Say I Love You ("I'll Do For You Anthing You Want Me To," "Love Seranade"), The Man ("Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "Sha La La Means I Love You", "September When We met", a splendid cover of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are"). Love Unlimited's In Heat ("I Belong To You", "Move Me No Mountain", "Share A Little Love In Your Heart"and "Love's Theme"-with lyrics!). He also scored a soundtrack for the 20th Century Fox film, The Together Brothers, enjoying a resurgence on home video.

His studio band included such luminaries as guitarists Ray Parker, Jr., (pre-Raydio, co-writer with White on "You See The Trouble With Me"), bassist Nathan East, Wah Wah Watson, David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Don Peake, bassist Wilton Felder of The Crusaders, Lee Ritenour, drummer Ed Greene, percussionist Gary Coleman and later keyboardist Rahn Coleman. His hit streak seemed, well, unlimited. Then it all derailed. Russ Regan and another ally, Hosea Wilson left 20th Century Records and White was left with management that White thought of in less than glowing terms.

White left after fulfilling his contract with two more album releases, Love Unlimted Orchestra's My Musical Bouquet and his own I Love To Sing The Songs I Sing. White signed a custom label(manufacturing &distribution) deal with CBS Records. At the time it was touted as one of the biggest deals ever. He started a label called Unlimited Gold. The roster included White, Love Unlimited, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Jack Perry and a teenaged singer named Danny Pearson whom charted with a song called "What's Your Sign Girl". He also did a duet album with Glodean called Barry & Glodean. Aside from the gold album, The Message Is Love, most of the albums weren't huge sellers. After eight Barry White albums, four Love Unlimited albums, four Love Unlimited Orchestra albums, constant touring and dealing with the rigors of the music industry, White decided to take a break.

Then in 1992, White signed with A&M, releasing four albums, The Man Is Back, The Right Night & Barry White and Put Me In Your Mix (which contains a duet with Issac Hayes "Dark And Lovely"). His latest, The Icon Is Love became his biggest selling album since the 70s releases going multi-platinum. It includes the platinum single "Pratice What You Preach." The production lineup includes Gerald Levert & Tony Nicholas, his godson Chuckii Booker, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Barry and his longtime friend Jack Perry. There are two lovely introspective ballads by the highly underated creative songwriter Michael Lovesmith, "Don't You Want To Know" and "Whatever We Had We Had". Other cuts include the jovial "I Only Want To Be With You." The cohesiveness of the album is do to the emphasis on Barry's vocals. While some recent efforts, have buried his vocals in whiz-bang electronic effects, on The Icon Is Love, Barry's deep steam engine baritone pipes are upfront in the mix. Showcased in the best traditon of soul music where the focus in the singer and the song. White's thankful for a career that has taken him from the ghetto to international sucesss with 106 gold and 41 platinum albums, 20 gold and 10 platinum singles with worldwide sales in excess of 100 million. He plans to release a new album in 1999.