Eddie Barber Music

November 1, 2008

Eddie launches new website.

July 22, 2006

The Courier-Journal

dorsey@courier-journal.com

It's a big weekend for debuts of returning series, including "Nashville Star" tomorrow night, which features a contestant from Frankfort, Ky. Friends and family in the audience are on their feet applauding Eddie Barber when he takes the stage with his guitar to sing as one of 20 participants on the show's second season, which begins at 10 tomorrow night on USA cable. "Me and my dad and brothers run a farm," he says in a short biographical introduction. "I feel like I'm about as country as you can get." We see Barber, 20, feeding cattle and mowing hay on the farm where he was raised. "I know what real country is about," he says. "Mowing hay can be a very boring job, so it's excellent song-writing time." In his quest to be the winner of a Sony music contract, Barber sings about not being able to take the honky-tonk out of the girl. "Nashville Star" likes to think of itself as the "American Idol" of country music. One difference, though, is that the judges here don't compete with contestants for the spotlight.

March 3, 2004

He's singin' for his supper

Former Owen resident to appear on Nashville Star

by Chanda Veno

They come from all over the country to try out for “Nashville Star,” country music’s version of the hit television show “American Idol.” In it’s second season, thousands of would-be country crooners tried out for the USA Network’s program. And when the field was narrowed down to 20 finalists in January, one of the talented singers happened to be Eddie Barber, a 20-year-old singer who grew up right down the road in Monterey. “For as long as I can remember my dream has been to write and sing country music,” Barber said in a statement. (Because he is a contestant in the finals, he is unable to participate in interviews.) “He’s been interested in music since he was itty-bitty,” said his mother, Joyce. “He’s been writing for a couple of years and playing the guitar since he was 14.”

All his practice paid off when he was one of the two singers selected from the more than 200 who tried out in the radio auditions sponsored by 98.1 The Bull at Austin City Saloon in Lexington. The mid-November tryout was one of 25 held by country radio stations throughout the country. “Nashville had 1,000 people at tryouts,” explained Joyce. “So a lot of them came up here to try out. People came from all over — Los Angeles, Canada.” The group of 50 contestants who survived the first round then met in the regional finals on Jan. 17. Eddie participated in the regional in Nashville, but they were also held in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Dallas. The contestants are required to sing a cover song and an original song. For his cover song, Eddie chose “You Ain’t Much Fun” by Toby Keith. His original song was titled “The Way You Smile.” The judges selected one winner from each region and then chose 16 other contestants to fill out the field of 20. The four winners were named at the regional tryout, but the other 16 had to play the waiting game. “If you got a call on the (Jan.) 20th, you made it. If not, you didn’t,” Joyce said. “By 5 p.m., they still hadn’t called but at 6 p.m. we got the call that they were a day behind because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” When the call actually did come in that Eddie had made it, he wasn’t even at home. The network was even reluctant to leave a message with his mother. “Finally they said, ‘We just wanted to let him know that he made it,’” Joyce said. “I called everyone and their brother to tell them Eddie had won.” She added that when she got around to letting him know of his fate, he wasn’t even excited. “He was shocked more than anything,” Joyce remembered.

To hear his mother tell it, Eddie’s fresh face, new voice and down home attitude are a few of things the judges appreciated. “He’s good. He’s not like some of the rest of them who have struggled to make it for years,” she said. “This kid has been at home and around the farm.” Unlike many of the other competitors, Eddie hasn’t been overexposed to the bar scene and country music circuits. He’s been making his way hauling hay, caring for cattle and raising tobacco on his family’s farm just south of Owen County in Peak’s Mill. He is not a newcomer to the stage, however. He and his band, Kentucky Bred, have played several gigs around the area, including the Peak’s Mill Auction House and Charlie’s in Franklin County, and a handful of places around Lexington. Eddie is in charge of vocals and rhythm for the band. His band mates include; Barry Ewen (lead guitar and vocals), Greg Hazlett (drums), and Steve White (bass and vocals). Joyce said she thinks appearing on “Nashville Star” will jump-start Eddie’s career, adding that she wants a better life for her son. “We tell him to do something to make you some money. This (farming) here is too hard,” she said. “Being a farmer, my dad thought that (singing) was pretty far out, but I never became discouraged,” Eddie wrote. “I used to wait until my parents went to bed and I could practice playing my guitar and sing.”

To show his son just how difficult it is to break into the music business, John took Eddie to Nashville on vacation last July. “I believe he was intending to let me see for myself that getting into country music wouldn’t be easy,” Eddie said. But just the opposite happened. The son showed his folks just how much talent he had by performing at Tootsies, Legends and Blue Bird Café. Since then, the Barbers have done all they can to encourage and support Eddie and his God-given abilities. “Dad and Mom are always trying to do the best for us kids, so they’re standing behind me 100 percent to help me pursue my career,” he said. Joyce said her son would never be where he is today without the assistance of the community. “Everybody has been behind him,” she said. “They are all tickled to death.” She also added that she wanted to thank Austin City Saloon and 98.1 The Bull “for the opportunity to go as far as he has,” and God “for the talent he has given Eddie.” Eddie is the 20-year-old son of Joyce and John Barber of Peak’s Mill, formerly of Owenton. He has two brothers, John R., 21, and Garrett, 18, and one sister, Sissy, 28. “Nashville Star” will air at 10 p.m. Saturday on the USA Network.

March 1, 2006

Local man has shot at being on "Nashville Star"

By Melissa Arnold

State Journal Staff Writer

At 20, Frankfort resident Eddie Barber wasn't even old enough to be in the Austin City Saloon in Lexington, which left him residing in the saloon's basement during the singing competition, but that still didn't stop him from stealing the show. On Nov. 19, Barber was chosen as a semifinalist for the reality TV show "Nashville Star." Local tryouts were held Nov. 17-19 at the saloon and at the end of each day contestants were eliminated. Barber was trying out to be in the second season of the show, which will air on March 6, 2004, on the USA network.

"There were over 200 contestants," Barber said. "There were people from everywhere...California, New York, Canada." When the two semifinalists were announced Barber found himself at a loss for words. The other semifinalist is Lexington native Shelly Rann, but she lives in Nashville. Preliminary auditions were scheduled by country radio stations across the U.S. to pick 50 lucky contestants for the regional competition in Nashville in January. Barber is one of the lucky 50. Lexington's country music station 98.1 The Bull hosted the tryouts in Lexington. "I couldn't speak," Barber said. "I didn't know what to say, so I just started hugging people and saying thanks." Out of the 50 semifinalists, 12 will be chosen to compete on the show by the official "Nashville Star" judging panel. Then those 12 will compete on the show through musical performances and then be judged by professionals in the industry, which will eventually narrow down the finalists to one winner. The winner will receive a recording contract with Sony Music Nashville. Nancy O'Dell, co-anchor of Access Hollywood, will once again be the show's host.

Barber said he watched "Nashville Star" last year on television and all he could think about was how disappointed he was for not knowing about the tryouts beforehand. "I made it a point this year to find out where the tryouts were going to be, and I started preparing for it a year in advance," he said. His parents, Joyce and John Barber, said he was trying to sing before he could talk. Born in Houston, Texas, Barber was raised in Owen County, Kentucky, and then when he was a teen-ager he moved to Frankfort with his family. He graduated from Franklin County High School and is currently focusing on his country singing. "I can remember trying to sing since I was 3 yearsold," Barber said. Joyce Barber said she thinks it's great that he was chosen. "I was thrilled when he won," John Barber said. "You just would have had to seen all of the other people and talent of all of the people there. People came from all over to compete, but (Eddie) just stuck out. There isn't any words to explain it." On the first day of tryouts, Barber sang 30 seconds of "Broken Heartsville" by Joe Nickels. On the second day, he sang two minutes of a Lynyrd Skynard song and two minutes of an original song by him called "The Way You Smile," and on the third day he sang in their entirety "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites and his own song "The Way You Smile." Also, as part of the contest, besides filling out a lengthy application, Barber had to submit a 15 to 20-minute video of him introducing his family, what he does, where he is from as well as him singing one original song and one cover song.

His biggest musical influences have been country singers Merle Haggard, Montgomery Gentry and Toby Keith. "I like them, because they tell the truth a lot more in their music than a lot of the other singer and they get to the point better," Barber said. "I personally like to write songs about real feelings and true situations, so whatever is on my mind I like to put to music." Barber has been in three bands with is latest being Eddie Barber & Kentucky Bred. "We practice about three times a week," Barber said. "We have played at The Boardwalk in Lexington and Charlie's Tavern here in Frankfort." Barry Ewen, guitarist for Eddie Barber & Kentucky Bred, said Barber is a great singer. "I have a real good time playing music with him," Ewen said. "I could definitely see him making it on the television show. He's pretty talented, and I think he is going to go very far." Barber's dream is to perform for a sold-out crowd.

"About two years from now, I would love to have a big stadium concert at Rupp Arena that would fill up with people coming to see me," Barber said. "It could happen." But for now he would settle for just being a finalist on "Nashville Star."