Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy Barrett.
Hi Randy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started playing banjo at age 13. That was after I asked to borrow a banjo from my cousin who wasn’t playing hers. She said “no.” That pissed me off just enough to make me go out and buy one. I learned from records as a kid, wearing out the grooves on any banjo or bluegrass album I could find. I had no way to slow down the records, so I learned at speed. YouTube is so much easier now! I played in high school with friends and then in college with several groups. After I graduated, I moved down to the Washington, DC area. I had family here and there was a pretty strong bluegrass scene. Historically, northern Virginia, DC and Baltimore were a hotbed of bluegrass in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Some of the greatest bands in the business came from here, including the Country Gentlemen, the Seldom Scene and the Johnson Mt. Boys. Roy Clark also started his career in DC., as did Emmylou Harris. It’s been an amazing mixing pot of talent over the years.
I spent the late 1980s and 90s working in different bands and as a freelancer. I also started writing songs and recorded a couple of solo albums during that time frame. I’ve been blessed to perform with a particularly wonderful bunch players/singers in the band Big Howdy for the past 25 years. The group is Dede Wyland vocals/guitar, Tom McLaughlin on mandolin and Ira Gitlin on bass. We’ve played a lot of music together and they’re pretty much like family. Big Howdy plays regularly around the DC/Baltimore area and does a monthly show at Hank Dietle’s Tavern, a gem of an old roadhouse in Rockville, MD.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Music is a tough business. It’s particularly challenging if you’re playing a roots music like bluegrass. I’ve made part of my living performing and teaching banjo and fiddle over the years but I needed a dependable income to support my wife and four kids. So I became a journalist, first covering business and technology (and the birth of the commercial Internet) and later as a political reporter and editor for a venerable but sadly defunct magazine called National Journal. I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of Kendall, my better half.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a banjo-playing lead singer, which is a bit of a rarity in bluegrass. Earl Scruggs played and sang the baritone part in the classic Flatt & Scruggs recordings So a couple of generations of banjo players have done only that. I never got the memo. All musical forms exalt the male tenor voice. It’s far rarer than us baritones who are a dime a dozen. But there are some heroes that I followed: Doc Watson, Charlie Waller, Lester Flatt, Larry Sparks and John Starling — who had an incredible vocal range. The key to effective lead baritone singing is in the delivery: diction, breath control and phrasing. A tenor can dazzle with the high notes. A baritone has to really sell the song to keep the audience listening.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’m president of the Bluegrass Country Foundation. We operate Bluegrass Country radio, America’s oldest roots music station. Formerly run by WAMU-FM in Washington, DC, the station offers 24/7 programming by real deejays, not algorithms. We have a library of more than 100,000 songs. You can check it out at www.bluegrasscountry.org.
I’ve also been very fortunate to have the chance to work with some of my heroes as a writer and publisher. A couple of years ago I co-authored the book On Banjo — Recollections, Licks and Solos with Ben Eldridge. Ben was a banjo titan and an original co-founder of the Seldom Scene. I started a publishing company called Barcroft Books to release it. The next project is the Tim O’Brien Songbook. I’ve been a Tim superfan for more than 40 years. It’s been wonderful to get to know him better and realize, even with the amazing number of great songs he’s written, Tim puts his songwriter pants on one leg at a time.
During the pandemic shut down I started a series called Fave Licks on YouTube. It was a way to share some banjo knowledge and keep creative during a frustrating time for everyone. I’m currently at more than 36 videos and people seem to like them so I’m going to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.randybarrett.net
- Youtube: @randybarrett5901
