Glenn Yarbrough
His soaring tenor voice defined the folk revival's commercial peak, but he walked away from fame to chase a life at sea.
1930–2016 (age 86)·American folk singer and musician·Birthday: January 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Glenn Yarbrough's voice was an instrument of pure, crystalline clarity that helped catapult the Limeliters to national fame in the early 1960s. His lead on hits like 'A Dollar Down' brought folk music into suburban living rooms. Yet, the industry's machinery grated on him; he was a restless spirit who found the trappings of success hollow. In a move that stunned many, he left the group at its height, pursuing a solo career that included the unexpected pop hit 'Baby the Rain Must Fall.' His true passion, however, was the ocean. He eventually retreated from the spotlight, spending years sailing the world and channeling his energy into founding a school for children in need, finding a fulfillment that chart positions never provided.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Glenn was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Glenn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Glenn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2016Died at 86
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- As the lead tenor for the Limeliters, he helped drive the group to sell millions of records and become a defining act of the early-1960s folk boom.
- His solo single 'Baby the Rain Must Fall,' the theme for a 1965 film, became a Top 50 pop hit on the Billboard charts.
- He founded and funded the Glen Yarbrough School for orphaned and disadvantaged children, reflecting his lifelong philanthropic turn.
- He recorded over 30 solo albums across folk, pop, and children's music genres after leaving the Limeliters.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished sailor who once owned a 72-foot schooner named the 'Thursday's Child,' on which he lived and traveled for years.
Before his music career, he studied at St. John's College in Annapolis, known for its Great Books curriculum.
He provided the singing voice for the animated character 'Froggy' in the 1977 television special 'The Hobbit.'
“I've always been a wanderer. I never could stand being in one place too long.”
