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Coast Guardsman Releases First Album Story by PA1 Jennifer Johnson, District Seven Public Affairs MIAMI – The small café is busier than usual for a Saturday night. The eclectic furniture is all taken and there seems to be a bit of a buzz in the air. A variety of musicians are hanging out, talking about upcoming projects and recent gigs. The emcee casually introduces the next performer and the audience is pleased to see the familiar guitar and crooked smile of one of their favorites. Petty Officer 2nd Class Spencer Barnes, a yeoman for Coast Guard District Seven Auxiliary, is a regular at the café and tonight he is performing to promote the release of his first album, “Feels So Right”. “It has taken me a long time to produce this record, and I am really proud of it,” said Barnes. “I call it Georgia porch music.” Barnes, who performs under the name Jack Barnes after his father, has been passionate about music most of his life. “I got my first guitar when I was seven,” Barnes said. “I would practice almost everyday, and finally, I started to write music as well.” Barnes continued to grow as a musician throughout his life, learning to play the piano and an assortment of other instruments. He first began performing on his own porch for his friends during his eight-year stint as an F-18 Hornet mechanic in the Marine Corps. “I just love to entertain people,” said Barnes. “I thought he was great,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Kruse, a co-worker and first time audience member. “I think it is really bold and takes a lot of guts to take something you enjoy and run with it instead of just taking the easy route.” Jack joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and shares his life with his two biggest fans, wife Stephanie and their four-year-old daughter Jordan. MIAMI – YN2 Spencer Barnes, of the Coast Guard District Seven Auxiliary office, belts one of his original songs out during a performance in Davie, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007. Barnes, who goes by the name Jack Barnes after his father, recently released his first album, Feels So Righ,t in August 2007. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson. “My favorite song on the album is Sunshine,” said Barnes. “I actually wrote the song well before my daughter was born, but it was everything I would have wanted to say to a daughter if I had one.” Although Barnes may be playing intimate venues throughout South Florida and marketing “Feels So Right” the old fashioned way, he has high hopes for himself in the music business. During the next few years, he plans to continue writing and extend his playing territory by taking his music on the road. “It is what I love to do and I am not going to give up on my dream.” To learn more about Barnes readers may visit his website at www.jackbarneslive.com. MIAMI – YN2 Spencer Barnes shares a moment with one of his biggest fans, his daughter Jordan. Barnes recently released his first album, Feels So Right, and plays at local clubs throughout South Florida. Photograph by Stephanie Barnes. Jennifer Johnson - Coastline (Oct 6, 2007) © 2007 jack barnes