by John BushBlue-eyed soul vocalist Len Barry paced several hits of the early '60s, both as a member of Dovells and as a solo act. Born in Philadelphia in 1942, he debuted on wax as the vocalist for the 1958 single "Mope-Itty Mope," as recorded by the Boss-Tones. He formed the group that became Dovells in 1957, and sang along on their Top Ten hits "The Bristol Stomp" and "You Can't Sit Down." Barry quit the group in late 1963 though, and soon signed with Decca as a solo act. The single "1-2-3" became a big hit in 1965, and just missed topping the charts. Amidst quickly changing times, however, Barry hit the Top 40 just twice more, with the early 1966 follow-ups "Like a Baby" and "Somewhere" (the latter from West Side Story). He continued performing his entertaining stage act, and later moved into production as well.