David Michael Barbour (May 28, 1912 – December 11, 1965) was an American jazz guitarist. He was married to singer Peggy Lee and was her co-writer, accompanist, and bandleader.

Biography

Barbour was born in Long Island, New York, United States. When Barbour was twelve, he played banjo at Carnegie Hall. He started his career as a banjoist with Adrian Rollini in 1933 and then Wingy Manone in 1934. He switched to guitar in the middle of the decade and played with Red Norvo from 1935 to 1936. He found much work as a studio musician and in ensembles with Teddy Wilson and Billie Holiday (1937), Artie Shaw (1939), Lennie Hayton, Charlie Barnet (1945), Raymond Scott, Glenn Miller, Lou Holden, and Woody Herman (1949). He also recorded with André Previn in 1945. While a member of Benny Goodman's orchestra in 1942, Barbour fell in love with lead singer Peggy Lee. They got married and moved to Los Angeles, but they divorced in 1951. Lee married three more times. He then married Marian Collier from 1960 to 1963. Barbour left music and acted in the movies Mr. Music and The Secret Fury in 1950. He performed sporadically, recording once with Benny Carter in 1962. Barbour died in 1965 of a hemorrhaged ulcer in Malibu Beach, California, at the age of 53.

Discography