Barry White

Barry White's immediately recognizable husky bass-inflected voice that obsessed over making love was a staple on black radio during the 1970s. Songs such as "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness," "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," and the appropriately titled "Love Makin' Music" made this heavy-set man a sex symbol, and were probably responsible for conceiving quite a few babies as well. And while his star did not shine as brightly through the 1980s and 1990s, White evolved into a oft-referred-to popular culture icon—appearing as himself on television shows like The Simpsons singing parodies of his own songs (which were already almost self-parodies).

Born in Galveston, Texas, White would work primarily out of Los Angeles and New York as an adult. White began his career in the music business at age 11, when he played piano on Jesse Belvin's hit single...