Self-deprecating leader of a 12-piece orchestra, identified with the 'cornball' or 'mickey mouse' style of music. Barron was most popular on the East Coast, the Midwest and the Southwest. His tag line was "Music of Yesterday and Today - Styled the Blue Barron Way". He reached his peak with a 1949 hit song, "Cruising Down the River". His recording affiliations were with MGM and Bluebird. The band's theme song was "Sometimes I'm Happy". His best known vocalist was
Russ Carlyle, who later became a band leader in his own right.