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Having drawn much of his musical inspiration
from the country and western tunes he heard on the radio growing up, Jeff Barry's primary goal in songwriting has always been
simplicity ... or at least the appearance of simplicity. He believes that lyrics should never sound stiff, forced or
phony. They should flow naturally, like a casual conversation between two people. Starting in the late '60s ,
his songs began to reflect this conversational style more and more. Jeff feels his best effort at writing simply was
this tender piano ballad, a massive hit for Olivia Newton-John in 1974. It topped both Billboard's Hot 100 and Adult-Contemporary
charts. It was an international smash. It became a Country best-seller (much to Jeff's delight), and it
even scored on the R & B charts in a cover version by The Staple Singers. For Olivia Newton-John alone, "I Honestly
Love You" has charted three different times (and she's recorded it at least that many times). It's her signature
tune, and recently she's gotten into the habit of ending concerts with it. The gentle melody and plain-spoken lyric
are as compelling in their simplicity as a fifty-piece orchestra would be in its grandeur; the combination brings audiences
to their feet. Today, more likely than not, they are theatre audiences. "I Honestly Love You" is now the showstopping
number in The Boy From Oz, a hit Broadway musical based on the life of the late Peter Allen. All this exposure
has made it Jeff Barry's most lucrative copyright ever.
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