Brian Barrett / Star SongBrian Barrett / Star Song
"A Wing And A Prayer" - 714kBrian Barrett
Some albums automatically make you want to tap your toe. Others make you want to sing along with almost every song. Some music just burrows into your heart and becomes a part of you Then there are some you play to lift you out of a down mood. But it's rare to find an album that makes you feel all those things and something much more. Star Song artist Brian Barrett's debut release is filled with that kind of rivetingly honest, heartfelt music that draws the listener in and speaks to them in a special way.
"There are those albums that we listen to a few songs on and then there are those that we come back to and say 'this just speaks to me.' I want my music to be something that you come back to," Barrett says. "I want the music on this album to be listened to over and over, yet still be fresh each time and still have the sincerity that it did the first time you heard it. I will have made the connection if that happens."
On his debut album, Barrett makes that connection. With his warm, passionate voice and finely crafted songs, Brian has woven a musical tapestry that draws richly on his rural Tennessee roots, yet is tightly stitched with the strength of his experiences as a young Christian trying to keep his balance in an ever-changing world. Both the songs he wrote for the project, as well as the ones he selected from outside writers, are intensely personal revelations about his faith and his relationship with the Lord, yet they are the type of songs others will easily see themselves in too. His music reaches out and makes a connection that leaves the listener feeling less alone; feeling instead like someone has tread the same path and set the journey to music.
"There's little bits and pieces of me in each song," the artist relates. "Even the ones I didn't write I can relate to. There's part of me that is going to come out in the artistry, but I really base the way I view the world and myself on the word of God. It is the ultimate truth."
Brian began learning God's truth at a very early age growing up in a good Christian home in tiny Mona, Tenn. (about 30 minutes from Nashville). He has fond memories of his grandfather walking him down the road to buy him ice cream at the little country store that was owned by his uncle. That peaceful country existence was uprooted when his family moved to the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex when Brian was 13. "It was definitely an adventure," Brian says with a smile. "I wasn't used to having a neighbor within half a mile. It was kind of a shock to me."
To help adjust to a new school and new life Brian turned to music. He joined the high school band and seeking a more creative means of musical expression, he and a few friends formed their own band. He admits his early musical influences were varied. He'd listen to his father's record collection which included everything from Chuck Berry to Ronnie and the Daytonas to Hank Snow.
Though he loved music, Brian almost took another career path. He had moved back to Tennessee and was about to follow in his father's foot steps as a pilot. He had his license and was planning on joining the military. Then one night he was asked to video-tape a revival.
"God had different plans," Brian says. "I wound up turning my life over to Christ at that revival service and it was there that I met a writer friend who took me under his wing and said 'this is what goes into a good song.' So I began writing and developing what it takes to write a good song.
From there Brian's songwriting, and consequently his career, began to progress quickly. A major Christian record company heard some of his songs and recruited him to write with some of their songwriters. They suggested he enter the Gospel Music Association's New Artist Showcase in 1992. He was one of the 12 chosen from over 300 entries to perform live during Gospel Music Week and he won the competition. Once touted the top new unsigned Christian act, it didn't take long for him to become signed to a record deal and Starsong was the label.
His debut album was produced by Cheryl Rogers, well known for her work with such acts as Babbie Mason and the Gaither Vocal Band. The songs cover a vast emotional landscape with each song brought to life by Brian's heartfelt vocal. "A Wing and A Prayer" is a song that Brian could identify with, not only because he's a pilot, but because he knows how his life was before he put God in 'the captain's seat.' "The Cross Road" is a moving tune that illustrates how easy it is to get off on the wrong path and how the only true way is to take the "cross road."
"Empty Hands" is a poignant song about what is really of value in our lives. "It's simple truth about the eternal value of things," Brian states. "I've heard it said that 'there's no luggage racks on a hearse' and that's true. You can't take things with you. The true treasures are found in God's word and relating to people and having your life reflect God's truth through it because it impacts people far down the line more than you would know."
"Bow Now" is a rollicking up tempo cut with a powerful message. "Bow Now" is kind of rockin'. My friend, Michael Puryear, and I wrote that one together. That's a very powerful biblical truth with a John The Baptist delivery," Brian says with a grin. "I tend to give that type of delivery a lot. I'm learning to texture my delivery on certain issues."
Although each song holds its own special significance for Brian he admits "I Want To Be A Servant" is one of his favorites. "If I was to pick a song that would reflect who Brian Barrett is and who he desires to be in Christ, it's the song "I Want To Be A Servant" because I spent so many years throwing my life away and living for myself," Brian states. "That really is my heart's desire- be a servant of God. Jesus came to be a servant and I want to follow his lead."
Living the life of a servant and communicating the joy of God's truth are the passions that drive Brian Barrett and make his music so unique. "I want so much to communicate the gospel in a way that will be a beacon to a world that really needs a savior," he says. "It encourages me so much that people are listening, not just to the music, but to the message."
KnowA Wing And A Prayer
The Cross Road
No One Knows My Heart
Hang My Hat
In The Next World
Bow Now
Love's Lessons
I Want To Be A Servant
Empty Hands
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