Glenn Yarbrough, one of the founding members of the folk group The Limeliters, died in his Nashville home on Thursday evening, according to The Tennessean. He was 95.
Yarbrough was best known for his single “Baby the Rain Must Fall,” the theme from the 1965 Steve McQueen film as well as “It’s Gonna Be Fine.”
Raised in New York City, Yarbrough began singing as a paid boy soprano at Grace Church to help support his mother. He went on to attend St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., where he studied philosophy. He eventually served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, deciphering codes before entering its entertainment corps. Upon his return, Yarbrough pursued his music career before moving to South Dakota to help his father run a dance barn.
While at St. John’s College, Yarbrough roomed with Jac Holzman, who went on launch Elektra Records in their dorm room in 1950. They released Yarbrough’s LP “Here We Go, Baby” seven years later. In 1960, Yarbrough was joined by musicians Alex Hassilev and Lou Gottleib in Aspen, Colo. to form The Limeliters, named after the club in which Yarbrough ran. The Limeliters were known for songs like”There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight,” “City of New Orleans” and “Whiskey in a Jar.” Yarbrough left the group in 1963.
He underwent surgery on his larynx in 2010 in an attempt to revive his singing voice, only to suffer from cardiac arrest in the recovery room. He would later receive a tracheotomy and was eventually put on a ventilator.
Yarbrough is survived by his children Stephany, Sean and Holly, as well as his son-in-law Robert Burnett.
