Randy Barlow

In 1964, Barlow was offered a job as an emcee and road manager for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour.[2][4] One of his duties on this tour was driver and road manager for first-wave British invasion band Herman's Hermits. This experience gave Barlow his first taste of the touring life of a professional musician, and left him with a resolve to make a career for himself in music. In 1966, Barlow moved to California to seriously pursue a career as a recording artist.[3] He spent the next few years playing clubs in southern California, and released his second single in 1968, "Color Blind", on the Mercury label, which did not chart.[2] His first released single had been in 1967 on Jimmy Velvet's Velvet Tone label, "Listen To The Green Grass Grow".

In 1974, Barlow released a single on the Capitol label, "Throw Away the Pages", which made it into the Top 100 for country, followed by three more Top 100 songs in 1976.[5] Barlow's big break came later in 1976, with a move to Nashville and the opportunity to record his second single, the Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune "24 Hours from Tulsa", which charted in the top 20 in 1977.[3][5][6] This was followed by four top 10 country singles from 1977 to 1979: "Slow and Easy", "No Sleep Tonight", "Fall in Love with Me Tonight", and "Sweet Melinda", with Barlow garnering songwriting credits on the last 3 songs. The year 1979 brought a nomination for Best New Male Artist from the Academy of Country Music, and a television appearance on "Hee Haw" alongside Gene Autry and the Statler Brothers, during which Barlow sang "Sweet Melinda".[7] Barlow toured nationally while releasing eight more singles and four albums in the period from 1976–1983, on the Republic label and later the Paid label. In 1981 his single, "Willow Run" reached #46 in the country music top 100.[5]

Barlow remained based in Nashville, where he continued to write songs and perform. In 2015, Barlow was inducted into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. On August 20, 2016, Randy Barlow was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame in West Branch, Michigan.[8]

Barlow died of cancer on July 30, 2020, at the age of 77.[9]