Brian Barton

Bio:

Brian has been playing the bass guitar since 1985. His influences include Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush, and John Wetton of Asia.

Brian found himself playing in his high school's jazz program within two months of acquiring his first bass. During his last two years of high school, Brian played for all of the school's plays as well as performing in jazz band, marching band, and choir showcases. He received numerous honors in the music department for his contributions to these bands. During this time he also helped form his first rock band, Nemesis.

In November of 1987, Brian joined the band, Strait Jacket, which hails from southern Maryland. Strait Jacket's repertoire included original songs and a wide variety of cover songs by groups such as Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Neil Young, The Beatles, Iron Maiden, and others. Brian was key in the success of the band which included winning the 1988 Battle of the Bands at the Blarney Rock Pub in Calloway, Maryland. The band recorded a demo tape in April of 1989 called "Released" which was well-received by the band's fans.

Brian left Strait Jacket in September of 1989 to attend college; however, he continued to write and record original songs using the talents of his bandmates from Strait Jacket. He performed one of the songs that he wrote during that time, "Did You Ever?", at a college talent showcase. Brian later performed for the Charles County Junior Miss program with his former band's lead singer/guitarist Joe Turgeon.

In August of 1991, Brian was reunited with Joe in a band called OVER LOAD. Performances included original music and cover songs by groups such as Motley Crüe, L.A. Guns, Winger, etc. The band separated in April of 1992. Since that time, Brian auditioned for King's Dominion and placed as a nationwide runner-up for their entertainment shows, performed sold-out performances of South Pacific at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall, and also played a benefit to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes with the Southern Maryland Percussion Ensemble.

Brian recorded with the talented band CommonbonD in 1994. "Ainnobodybinnis", the song which he recorded with CommonbonD, received much airplay and is consistently a crowd pleaser. The band consisted of two vocalists/guitarists named MaryBeth DePompa and Ashley Miller. The band is very popular on the East Coast from Florida to Pennsylvania, which they rigorously tour. While living in Maryland, Brian frequently joined the band playing several songs with their live set.

In June of 1995, he left Maryland for California to attend Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

Brian played fill in dates for "Butt Pirates of the Caribbean" to full capacity audiences at the Upfront Comedy Club in Santa Monica, California. He also is used as a stand in bassist for the production of "The Princess and the Pea" at Upfront Comedy.

In March of 1997 Brian played with the Blue Rose Band at the popular Lake Tahoe venue Tahoe Biltmore Hotel/Casino in Crystal Bay, NV. This two week gig consisted of cover tunes in a wide variety of musical styles such as Rock, Top 40, Country, Disco, Alternative, and Blues.

Brian currently resides in Fort Worth, TX with his lovely wife Carrie and son Kevin and plays with the variety show band Plan B.

Brian's versatility, ability to groove, and showmanship makes him a key element in many band situations.

Member Since:

June 30, 2008

Record Label:

Unsigned