Tony Barnes is a nationally touring solo acoustic act, former lead guitar player and co-writer for Nashville based Southern Rock band, Mckenzies Mill. He is a recognized instrumental song writer and performer, a five-year veteran of the Nashville music scene, where he was influential in writing some of the strongest material for Mckenzies Mill, according to Kent Wells, Dolly Parton’s veteran guitar player and producer.
Tony brings quality live entertainment creating an energetic and crowd-pleasing performance. He features songs from yesterday and today, along with many genres and emotions. Solo, duo, or full band, he provides his clients with a professional, yet, laid-back evening of music and fun for the whole family (or for a bar full of rowdy patrons).
As a solo artist Tony won the 2007 Broadjam.com guitar solo contest in honor of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Birthday with his original Instrumental, “Push and Pull”. This landed him and the band (McKenzies Mill) a performance at Muriel Anderson’s 2007 All Star Guitar Night at The Barrymore Theatre in Madison, WI. During the summer of 2010 Tony was the solo entertainer at The Isla Grand Beach Resort in South Padre Island, TX booked by Entertainment America. He played five days a week overlooking the Gulf of Mexico while living in the beautiful Resort for four months. While there, he met many influential people, including Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour’s Disc Jockey, D.J. Silver, who befriended Tony and landed him gigs on Austin’s famed 6th Street.
Tony went on to record his first solo record (4th studio record) with Stormy Cooper Media in Houston, TX during December 2010. On the album are six original songs as well as the famed “Wagon Wheel” written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show. Tony has the Mechanical License to sell his “Original” version of “Wagon Wheel” and it has become a song people have come to know him by. His first single, “So What, I’m Drunk” has also become a staple for many of his fans, and friends, and prompted Tony to make t-shirts with the slogan from his song. The first batch sold out in days.
Look for a new E.P. with songs like “A Few Good Friends of Mine” and “Blowing Kisses” by the summer of 2013.
Entertainment so memorable that hundreds of people are still cheering from the stands.
