Billy Barnes (January 27, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was a composer, lyricist and actor from

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Barnes may be best known for his theatrical revues and his recurring role as Mr. Edlin on the television series ''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...

''.

Career

Barnes started writing musical comedy sketches while still in

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, and continued while at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. He started collaborating in college with Bob Rodgers, and their first professional musical comedy revue, a ''Cabaret Concert Show'', was staged in 1956 in Los Angeles. Barnes continued with theatrical revues, including ''

The Billy Barnes Revue The ''Billy Barnes Revue'' is a 1959 musical comedy revue with music and lyrics by Billy Barnes and sketches by Bob Rodgers. The revue premiered in Los Angeles in 1959 and went on to be produced both on Broadway and Off Broadway. The show is r ...

,'' ''Billy Barnes' People,'' ''Billy Barnes' Party,'' ''Billy Barnes' L.A.,'' and ''Billy Barnes' Hollywood.'' Other productions with Barnes' songs include ''Movie Star,'' and ''Blame It on the Movies'' (1988). His revues were the springboard for many comics and singers, including

Bert Convy Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for hosting ''Tattletales'', ''Super Password'' and ''Win, Lose or Draw''. Early life Convy was born in St. Louis ...

Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appea ...

Jo Anne Worley Jo Anne Worley (born September 6, 1937) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. Worley is widely known for her work on the comedy-variety show ...

, Steve Franken,

Jackie Joseph Jackie Joseph (born November 7, 1933) is an American actress and writer. She is best known for her role as Jackie Parker on ''The Doris Day Show'' (1971–1973) and Audrey in '' The Little Shop of Horrors'' (1960), as well as a supporting role i ...

Ann Morgan Guilbert Ann Morgan Guilbert (October 16, 1928 – June 14, 2016), sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, was an American television and film actress and comedian who portrayed a number of roles from the 1950s on, most notably as Millie Helper in 61 episode ...

David Ketchum David Ketchum (born February 4, 1928, in Quincy, Illinois) is an American character actor, writer, and director perhaps most noted for playing Agent 13 on the 1960s sitcom ''Get Smart''. Ketchum studied physics at UCLA and joined other UCLA stu ...

and his then wife,

Joyce Jameson Joyce Jameson (born Joyce Beverly Kingsley; September 26, 1932 – January 16, 1987) was an American actress, known for many television roles, including recurring guest appearances as Skippy, one of the "fun girls" in the 1960s television seri ...

. For television, Barnes wrote special material and original musical production numbers for ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

,'' ''

The Danny Kaye Show ''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premier ...

,'' ''

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' was an American variety show that starred American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS in the United States, and premiered in August 1971. The show was ...

,'' ''

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

'' and ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...

.'' He wrote opening production numbers for several ''

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

'' telecasts. He has composed comedic and topical songs for many of show business's greatest personalities including

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

and

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

. He wrote the songs for the 1976 television musical adaptation of ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' starring

Sandy Duncan Sandra Kay Duncan (born February 20, 1946) is an American actress, comedian, dancer and singer. She is known for her performances in the Broadway revival of ''Peter Pan'' and in the sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. Duncan has been nominated for thr ...

. Barnes' hit songs includes "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair" recorded by

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

and by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

on her 1963 album "

The Second Barbra Streisand Album ''The Second Barbra Streisand Album'' is the title of Barbra Streisand's second solo studio album. It was released in August 1963, just six months after the release of her debut album, ''The Barbra Streisand Album'', and was recorded in four day ...

", and "

Something Cool ''Something Cool'' is a studio album recorded by June Christy in 1953, 1954, and 1955, and featuring Christy singing 11 (in the original release, seven) jazz songs backed by the orchestra of Pete Rugolo, and her saxophonist husband, Bob Cooper. ...

", first recorded in 1954 by jazz vocalist

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925June 21, 1990) was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a sol ...

. Barnes had a recurring acting role on the television series ''

'' in the 1990s as "Mr. Edlin", the musical director and pianist of a community theatre.

Personal life

Barnes married actress

in the 1950s, and the couple had one child together, son Tyler, before their divorce. Barnes and Richard T. Jordan were life partners from the early 1980s until Barnes' death, from complications associated with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

, on September 25, 2012.

Awards and recognition

Barnes received The Los Angeles Theatre Alliance Governor's Award for his lifetime achievement in the theatre. The 2013–15 HBO series '' Getting On'' is set in the fictional Mt. Palms Hospital's "Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit" in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

References

;Citations

Sources

* *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Billy 1927 births 2012 deaths Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Deaths from dementia in California American lyricists American composers Actors from California LGBT people from California Bisexual male actors Bisexual composers 21st-century American LGBT people