Marc-Alan Barnette

Marc-Alan Barnette is an original. A self-proclaimed “square peg in a round hole,” Barnette has emerged with a unique musical sound that is in his own words, “not totally country and not totally blues…too blues for country and too country for blues!” Aptly classified as “In-Your-Face-Country-Soul,” Marc-Alan’s music and Marc-Alan himself have created a huge buzz in the music scene. Barnette is the king of reinventing himself- a dichotomy of heartfelt and hilarious, crazy and down-to-earth. Because of the variety of hats Barnette dons for each of his shows, he certainly keeps every audience on its toes, thoroughly entertained and wanting more.
Marc-Alan Barnette was born and raised in Birmingham. As part of a musical family (Great cousin was Jimmie Rogers, one of the founders of country music, and father, Grady, was a gospel quartet singer), Marc-Alan grew up singing in church and in various bands and taught himself how to play the guitar. Since his first moment on stage, Marc-Alan knew that getting people fired up and performing was his natural calling. His band, 24 Karat, was chosen as the top band in the country in the 1984 Miller High Life battle of the bands out of 30,000 applicants. After a move to Nashville in 1988, Marc-Alan scored a cut with Shelby Lynne his first night in town. He has had success in Nashville as a writer, several publishing deals, and cuts by John Berry and David Ball, including the current single “Too Much Blood in My Alcohol Level” on the Ball “Freewheeler” album. He has co-written with the best and along with his former back-up singers “The Kinleys,” he has opened shows for Charlie Daniels, Garth Brooks, Ricochet, and Patty Loveless.
Besides writing and performing, Marc-Alan also has a passion for mentoring and coaching writers through workshops and seminar programs that he has created all over the US. Through his efforts with NSAI, SGA and other organizations, he has helped further the goals of many writers, leading to publishing and representation deals, and greater awareness of the intricacies of the music business.
Marc-Alan’s smoky whiskey voice has brought comparisons to Delbert McClinton, Otis Redding, and Travis Tritt. From his warm, haunting ballad of lost love, “Old Memories,” to the driving rocker, “When Love Does the Driving,” the hilarious “Too Much Blood in My Alcohol Level” to his signature tune, “Can’t Blame Nobody,” Marc-Alan has proven himself to be a prolific writer and a fantastic performer.
Music critic Robert Orreman has said of Barnette: “If you see this guy’s name listed on a club, run, don’t walk to get there.”