Barb Jungr was born on 9 May 1954 in Rochdale, Lancashire to immigrant parents. Her father Miroslav Jungr was a Czech scientist. Miroslav came to Britain as a refugee after the Second World War and after incarceration in the German Work Camps. Barb’s mother Ingrid was a German nurse.
The eldest of three siblings, Barb grew up in Stockport, Cheshire where she attended Stockport Convent School for Girls before earning a BSc from Leeds University.
Barb Jungr is known worldwide as a performer of contemporary cabaret and a chansonnière, or singer of chansons —in the sense of classic, lyric-driven French songs; in the broader sense of European songs in the cabaret style, and in the even broader sense of a diverse range of songs interpreted in this genre.
She is also an acclaimed jazz and cabaret singer, and has become best known for her interpretations of songs written by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jacques Brel, The Beatles and more recently Sting.
A song-stylist incorporating jazz and blues, her approach often includes radical re-readings of known writers, as well as original material. For a period starting in 2004, Barb’s work focussed on writing (lyrics, composition and adaptations) for children and musical theatre.