David Barbe
{{Short description|American musician (born 1963)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = David Barbe
| image =
| caption = David Barbe performing with Patterson Hood & The Screwtopians at Bonnaroo 2009.
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|9|30}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia
| death_date =
| instrument = Bass guitar, guitar
| years_active = 1985–present
| label =
| associated_acts = Sugar, Mercyland, Buzz Hungry, Drive-By Truckers
}}
David Barbe (pronounced ˈbɑɹ.bi BAR-bee; born September 30, 1963) is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia, and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gpbnews.org/post/eclectic-musical-life-athens-producer-david-barbe|title=The Eclectic Musical Life Of Athens Producer David Barbe|last=Young|first=Celeste Headlee, Trevor|website=www.gpbnews.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-06}} Barbe is known for his work as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and bass guitarist in Sugar, Mercyland, and Buzz Hungry, as well as solo performances. He has produced nearly every album by the popular country rock band Drive-By Truckers, and has worked as producer and engineer with Son Volt. He has an all-star solo band in Athens called the Quick Hooks.
Biography
David Barbe was musically influenced by his parents — "Time Lady" Jane Barbe and composer John Barbe — who were both big band musicians.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-barbe-mn0000631605|title=David Barbe {{!}} Biography & History|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=2019-11-06}}
Barbe and his wife, Amy, have three children — daughter Annabelle and sons Winston and Henry. He is a past president of the Athens-Clarke County Little League baseball league and has managed his sons' all-star teams to several city championships.{{Cite web|url=https://bittersoutherner.com/from-the-southern-perspective/music/becoming-david-barbe|title=Becoming David Barbe|website=THE BITTER SOUTHERNER|date=22 December 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-06}}
Music career
Barbe moved to Athens, Georgia, in 1981 to attend the University of Georgia. In Athens, he played occasional guitar with punk favorites Bar-B-Que Killers. He later formed his own group, Mercyland in 1985 and acted as the main songwriter, bassist, and co-lead singer. After Mercyland disbanded in 1991, he fronted Buzz Hungry.
He was tutored by John Keane in music production and engineering. Barbe also played with Bob Mould in the Sugar band. He contributed a number of songs, some from Buzz Hungry and some original, that were performed live and/or released as B-sides, such as "Where Diamonds are Halos", which was also recorded as part of a BBC radio session. He left Sugar in early 1995.{{cite web |url= http://clatl.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A6906 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140603233044/http://clatl.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:6906 |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 3, 2014 |title=Safe at home |first1=lee |last1=smith |first2=Gregory |last2=Nicoll |work=Creative Loafing Atlanta |date=November 7, 2001 |accessdate=June 3, 2014}}
Barbe joined Mould for a full gig on October 18, 2009, at the Treasure Island Music Festival.{{Cite web|url=https://www.treasureislandfestival.com/|title=Treasure Island Music Festival|website=Treasure Island Music Festival|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-06}}
In 1997, Barbe and two co-owners opened Chase Park Transduction studios in Athens.{{Cite web|url=https://flagpole.com/music/music-features/2016/03/02/david-barbe-has-done-it-all|title=David Barbe|last=Lewczyk|first=Maria|website=Flagpole Magazine {{!}} Athens, GA News, Music, Arts, Restaurants|language=en|access-date=2019-11-06}} Since opening Chase Park, Barbe has worked as a producer, engineer, writer and musician on hundreds of recording projects with many artists, including Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, the Glands, Jerry Joseph, Amy Ray, k.d. lang, and R.E.M.{{cite web|url=http://www.terry.uga.edu/news/releases/2011/barbe-director.html |title=Dropping interim title, David Barbe is appointed director of UGA's Music Business Certificate Program |first=David |last=Dodson |publisher=Terry College of Business, University of Georgia |date=March 24, 2011 |accessdate=June 3, 2014}} Barbe has performed in a wide variety of "one-off" bands such as Christa McAuliffe and the Challengers and helped create or contribute to many cassette and vinyl compilation records around Athens and Atlanta such as Proud o' Me Gluttony and Some. He performed at AthFest 2007 with Jack Logan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/festival/2007/athfest-2007-73d7caa1.html|title=Athfest 2007 Setlists|website=setlist.fm|language=en|access-date=2019-11-06}} In 2011, Barbe remixed and reissued Mercyland’s sole full-length album, No Feet on the Cowling.{{cite web|url=http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2011/03/21/mercyland-the-ad-interview/ |title=Mercyland : The AD Interview |publisher=Aquarium Drunkard |date=March 21, 2011 |accessdate=June 3, 2014}}
In August 2010, Barbe was named interim director of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Certificate Program, then in March 2011 he was appointed the certificate program’s director on a permanent basis by Terry College of Business Dean Robert Sumichrast.
David's parents, Jane and John Barbe, were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 26, 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamusichall.com/inductee-list/|title=List of 163 Musicians - Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Inductees {{!}} Georgia Music Hall and Education Resources|date=4 June 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-06}}
References
{{reflist}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110327063441/http://flagpole.com/Weekly/ThatBeatInTime/Mercyland.22Nov06 Flagpole Magazine - Mercyland Profile]
External links
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p54121/biography}}
- [http://chaseparktransduction.com/ Chase Park Transduction]
{{Sugar (American band)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbe, David}}
Category:American rock bass guitarists
Category:Sugar (American band) members
Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:University of Georgia alumni
Category:University of Georgia faculty
Category:Musicians from Athens, Georgia
Category:Guitarists from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:American male bass guitarists
Category:20th-century American bass guitarists