All-rounder plied his talents on stage, cabaret, opera and after-hours Myer
''B'', as he was known, attended the final performance in Melbourne in June of the show Billy Elliot The Musical at Her Majesty's Theatre - the same theatre where he made his theatrical debut, at age 16, in Oliver, with Billy Elliot cast member Lola Nixon in 1966.
Berry appeared in professional musicals staged by the legendary J. C. Williamson Company; lent his expertise to pro-am productions around Australia; appeared in television shows both here and in Britain; and performed in clubs, on cruise ships, and staged several cabaret performances.
Some of his professional musical credits include Lord Boxington in My Fair Lady, the Pearly King in Me and My Girl, and as Etienne and Renaud in La Cage Aux Folles.
In 1997, he appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard at the Regent Theatre with Hugh Jackman, initially playing Hog Eye and Morino, and then the role of Max.
Berry's versatility as a singer was also heard in several engagements with various opera companies, performing in such well-known productions as Aida and War and Peace.
His television credits include Sons and Daughters, Bellbird, The Mike Walsh Show and The Graham Kennedy Show.
For a while, Berry based himself in London, singing on cruise ships, and performing in cabaret at such venues as the Astor Club. He also appeared in British television shows, including Opportunity Knocks. He then lived and performed in Sydney for a few years.
Berry was born at the Kiaora Hospital in Regent, to Nell and Stan, a local butcher. He attended Northcote Boys High, where he discovered an interest in singing, and began lessons.
As a boy soprano Berry studied with Freda Northcote, and later transferred to her husband, Ernest Wilson.
Berry resumed his training whenever he returned to Melbourne during his busy career in musical theatre over the next 30 years.
''Between engagements'' he worked in the display department at Myer Northland with another ''resting'' performer, dancer Peter Curren; his boss was former J. C. Williamson dancer Robert Foster. They say that when the shop closed it took on the look of a studio for a Broadway show!
Berry was a serious collector of, and authority on, all aspects of music theatre, and his musical evenings with friends will long be remembered.
Several people attended a recent farewell in Sydney, including Lola Nixon, with many more tributes from friends overseas, including leading lady Jill Perryman, and another Australian performer, Tony Sheldon, who is starring in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in London's West End.
Friends will gather at Her Majesty's Theatre at 5pm on Monday to give Berry a final curtain call.
He is survived by his mother, Nell, and brother David.
Jess Cain, 'Berry, Robert James (B) (1949–2009)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/berry-robert-james-b-18566/text30222, accessed 19 April 2026.