© Copyright 2012 The Barn Katz
Raised in a musical family since birth. His mother was a piano and autoharp
player, his uncles played and his Grandfather Don Barrett was a member of the
lonesome Pine Fiddlers in 1952. A prominent Bluegrass band of that time who
recorded for RCA Victor, which is unheard of in today’s standards.
Joe's mother said that they owned a piano before they owned a family car.
Joe's mother said that they owned a piano before they owned a family car.
His mother on the other hand always had the record player spinning such albums as
John Denver, Karen Carpenter, Captain and Tenille, The Mamas and The Papas, Crystal Gail, Henry Mancinni, Dean Martin and Lawrence Welk.
His Dad was more of a country music Hee Haw kinda Guy! That’s where the hillbilly part comes in.
In the seventy’s in rural backwoods Va, there were only two channels on the TV, 5 and 11 and sometimes channel 2 when you turned the Antenna the right way! Which was a two man operation. 1 Guy at the top of the hill turning the Antenna and using a crescent wrench to tighten the bolt and the other guy at the house, 1/8th of a mile down hill screaming out the window..” GO BACK THE OTHER WAY”, and “STOP RIGHT THERE I BLEVE YE GOT IT”!
Now Saturday nights there was two shows on at primetime. Hee Haw which Joe and his Dad thought was real entertainment and then that other channel that was playing the Lawrence Welk show...with all them Bubbles which was a drag, and his Mom always rooted for! Joe and his dad usually always won the battle. And Joe says” Thank God for Buck and Roy!
Anyway, Joe Started on the Mandolin at age 8, By age 11 performed in front of a full house with Bill Monroe “The Father of Bluegrass Music” Age 14 recorded with Kenny Baker and Josh Graves and then another record with Kenny and Josh at age 16.
By the age of 18 was recording steady and working on the road. At age 20 filled in on several occasions with Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys as Upright Bass player.
At age 22 Joe played on the Nationally Acclaimed PBS series 25 anniversary Austin City Limits with Larry Sparks, Ricky Skaggs, and Ralph Stanley.
Joe has worked with many great bluegrass Artists throughout his musical journey.
Larry Sparks and the lonesome Ramblers, The Legendary Goins Brothers (formerly part of the Lonesome Pine fiddlers which his grandfather played with earlier mentioned)
Joe Isaacs, James King Band, Honi Deaton and Dream, Darrell Webb, Robert Hale, Tony Brown, Don Rigsby, Gerald Evans and Paradise, Wayne Taylor of Blue Highway, David Peterson and 1946 , David Parmley And Continental Divide... Many many others
Joe has also been involved somewhat in the film industry. Several movie Soundtracks and also an actual appearance in 2007 film Stuck in the past featuring Eddie Mecca (Carmine from Laverne and Shirley 70 sitcom) also Nakitta Koloff WWF wrestler. Joe played banjo on the Bob and Doug Cartoon sound track.
Ian Thomas asked Joe to be part of the soundtrack for a seasonal movie called The National Tree which got major airplay in the USA as well as Canada.
Joe’s original tune a Gypsy Jazz song called Copperhead was used in a sound track by CBC for an original Documentary film about 1920s Hamilton Tigers Hockey Team.
There is a live recording studio version on YouTube...type in Hamilton tigers and then click on the song “copperhead”.
Joe is super excited to be part of the Barn Katz, This group has been a long time in the making and every member have signed a lifetime agreement in BLOOD not to ever leave. So we are gonna entertain as many people as we can possibly and hope to meet and greet with every single one of you!
We are a family and that’s important foremost before music and we all love God!
John Denver, Karen Carpenter, Captain and Tenille, The Mamas and The Papas, Crystal Gail, Henry Mancinni, Dean Martin and Lawrence Welk.
His Dad was more of a country music Hee Haw kinda Guy! That’s where the hillbilly part comes in.
In the seventy’s in rural backwoods Va, there were only two channels on the TV, 5 and 11 and sometimes channel 2 when you turned the Antenna the right way! Which was a two man operation. 1 Guy at the top of the hill turning the Antenna and using a crescent wrench to tighten the bolt and the other guy at the house, 1/8th of a mile down hill screaming out the window..” GO BACK THE OTHER WAY”, and “STOP RIGHT THERE I BLEVE YE GOT IT”!
Now Saturday nights there was two shows on at primetime. Hee Haw which Joe and his Dad thought was real entertainment and then that other channel that was playing the Lawrence Welk show...with all them Bubbles which was a drag, and his Mom always rooted for! Joe and his dad usually always won the battle. And Joe says” Thank God for Buck and Roy!
Anyway, Joe Started on the Mandolin at age 8, By age 11 performed in front of a full house with Bill Monroe “The Father of Bluegrass Music” Age 14 recorded with Kenny Baker and Josh Graves and then another record with Kenny and Josh at age 16.
By the age of 18 was recording steady and working on the road. At age 20 filled in on several occasions with Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys as Upright Bass player.
At age 22 Joe played on the Nationally Acclaimed PBS series 25 anniversary Austin City Limits with Larry Sparks, Ricky Skaggs, and Ralph Stanley.
Joe has worked with many great bluegrass Artists throughout his musical journey.
Larry Sparks and the lonesome Ramblers, The Legendary Goins Brothers (formerly part of the Lonesome Pine fiddlers which his grandfather played with earlier mentioned)
Joe Isaacs, James King Band, Honi Deaton and Dream, Darrell Webb, Robert Hale, Tony Brown, Don Rigsby, Gerald Evans and Paradise, Wayne Taylor of Blue Highway, David Peterson and 1946 , David Parmley And Continental Divide... Many many others
Joe has also been involved somewhat in the film industry. Several movie Soundtracks and also an actual appearance in 2007 film Stuck in the past featuring Eddie Mecca (Carmine from Laverne and Shirley 70 sitcom) also Nakitta Koloff WWF wrestler. Joe played banjo on the Bob and Doug Cartoon sound track.
Ian Thomas asked Joe to be part of the soundtrack for a seasonal movie called The National Tree which got major airplay in the USA as well as Canada.
Joe’s original tune a Gypsy Jazz song called Copperhead was used in a sound track by CBC for an original Documentary film about 1920s Hamilton Tigers Hockey Team.
There is a live recording studio version on YouTube...type in Hamilton tigers and then click on the song “copperhead”.
Joe is super excited to be part of the Barn Katz, This group has been a long time in the making and every member have signed a lifetime agreement in BLOOD not to ever leave. So we are gonna entertain as many people as we can possibly and hope to meet and greet with every single one of you!
We are a family and that’s important foremost before music and we all love God!
He was raised in a small community called Swords Creek Va. Always hearing the sounds of Pentecostal and Baptist
singing in church. And at home was influenced by his grandparents who always sang old traditional country duets and
ballets. Such as Louvin Brothers, Loulabelle and Scotty, Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Johnny and Jack, Bill Monroe, Flatt
and Scruggs, The Osborne Brothers, The Inspirations, The Victory Trio, The McKameys, The Singing Cookes and on
and on.
Joe Clark