From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Tue Jan 1, 2002 3:08 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Benny Barnes BENNY BARNES Born Ben Milas Barnes, Jr., 1 January 1936, Beaumont, Texas Died 15 August 1987, Beaumont, Texas Country singer / songwriter. The musical career of Benny Barnes spans 25 years, during which he recorded for a great variety of labels, including Starday, Mercury, Dixie, D, Hall-Way and Musicor. One night in 1956, Barnes accompanied his friend and fellow Beaumont resident George Jones to a Houston studio to play rhythm guitar on a Starday record session. During a break, Jones told the producer, Pappy Daily: "I want you to hear this boy sing". A surprised Barnes sang his own composition, "Poor Man's Riches" and Pappy said "I like it, let's cut it kid". A few months later, Benny's Starday 45 of "Poor Man's Riches" was # 2 on Billboard's country charts. This success led to his late 1950s stint on the Louisiana Hayride. In February 1959, Barnes recorded the Holly / Valens / Big Bopper tribute "Gold Records In The Snow" for the D label, which spent three weeks on the Cash Box country charts. The Mercury release "Yearning" (1961) was his final chart entry, peaking at # 22 (country). Barnes continued to record until 1981, but had no further hits. He died too young, at the age of 51. Life on the road and too much alcohol had taken its toll. One of the best honky tonk singers was gone. His only CD is "The Rockin' Honky Tonk Country Man" on the Swedish Star Club label. 30 tracks from 1956-65, with instructive liner notes. The most rocking track is "You Gotta Pay", a Mercury recording from 1958. Recommended to fans of George Jones and Lefty Frizzell.