Martin Glenn Barber (February 2, 1935 – March 28, 2008), was
an American country and rockabilly performer.
Glenn Barber was born in Hollis, OK, on February 2, 1935.
From there, he and his family moved to Pasadena, TX, where the young Barber
showed an early interest in music. Originally a guitar player, he also took up
bass, drums, dobro, and mandolin.
He first appeared on wax with the 1952 Stampede single
"You Took the Twinkle Out of My Stars"; by 1954, he had a contract
with the Starday label. Over the next few years, Barber would release numerous
countrified rockabilly singles on the label, the last being issued in 1956,
just as rock & roll was sweeping the country. From there, he and manager
Pappy Dailey travelled to the D imprint, which issued four Barber singles
during the remainder of the 1950s.
As the '60s arrived, Barber became a disc jockey and
featured performer on Houston's KIKK. He and his band, the Western
Swingmasters, appeared on the station five nights a week until 1968, when he
signed with the Nashville outfit Hickory. There he 
made his full-length debut
with 1970's A New Star.
made his full-length debut
with 1970's A New Star.
While with Hickory, Barber charted four times, taking songs
like "Kissed By the Rain, Warmed By the Sun" (1969) and
"Unexpected Goodbye" (1972) all the way to the Top 30. Another
Hickory single, "She Cheats on Me," would later be recorded by Roy
Orbison. After Hickory, Glenn had releases on Groovy, Tudor, Century 21, GRT
and MMI (in 1979) and penned the hit "Everyone Wants to Disco." It
was his last charting single, He then recorded for Sunset Sunbird (1981) and
Brylen, then 
turning to other interests in the 1980s and '90s, including
painting and screenwriting.
turning to other interests in the 1980s and '90s, including
painting and screenwriting.
Just as he was about to appear in France for the very first
time in his career, Glenn suffered a congestive heart failure and kidney
failure on August 22, 2006, and had to be taken to a hospital in Gallatin,
Tennessee.
Glenn did go to France in March 2007 and shared the bill with Haley's Comets on a memorable night. Unfortunately, Glenn passed away on March 28, 2008 .
Glenn did go to France in March 2007 and shared the bill with Haley's Comets on a memorable night. Unfortunately, Glenn passed away on March 28, 2008 .
Glenn Barber passed away on 28th March 2008. He had a
heart attack and died holding his guitar in his hands practising for his show
at Viva Las Vegas. He was 73. (Info various, mainly All Music Guide)
Here's a small clip of Glenn jamming in Green Bay with a Hallmark guitar
Here's a small clip of Glenn jamming in Green Bay with a Hallmark guitar
