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

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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

Career

Barnes started writing musical comedy sketches while still in

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

, and continued while at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

. 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,'' ''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, Ken Berry, Jo Anne Worley, Steve Franken, Jackie Joseph, Ann Morgan Guilbert, David Ketchum, and his then wife Joyce Jameson. For television, Barnes wrote special material and original musical production numbers for '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,'' '' The Danny Kaye Show,'' '' The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,'' ''

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

'' and '' The Carol Burnett Show.'' He wrote opening production numbers for several ''

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

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

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

and Angela Lansbury. 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 poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' starring Sandy Duncan. 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), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...

and by

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

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 d ...

'', and "

Something Cool ''Something Cool'' is the debut solo album by June Christy, released on Capitol Records first as a 10-inch LP of seven selections in August of 1954, and then as a 12-inch LP of eleven selections the following August, both times in monophonic ...

", first recorded in 1954 by jazz vocalist

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925 – June 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 ...

. Barnes had a recurring acting role on the television series '' Mad About You'' in the 1990s as "Mr. Edlin", the musical director and pianist of a community theatre.

Personal life

Barnes married actress Joyce Jameson 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 neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

, 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 coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

References

;Citations

Sources

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Billy 1927 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people Actors from Los Angeles American bisexual male actors American bisexual musicians American LGBTQ composers American lyricists American male composers American male songwriters Bisexual composers Bisexual male musicians Bisexual songwriters Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California Deaths from dementia in California LGBTQ people from California