BARNES A REAL TRY-ER
Wallabies great John Eales set the country star on the road to glory, but the singer’s success since has been of his own making
FAMED country music singer Casey Barnes knows how important it is to network.
The Gold Coast-based musician has revealed his path to fame received a major leg up in 2005 after he gave an album to Wallabies rugby great John Eales.
“At the end of a gig I gave John a copy of an album I’d made,” Barnes says.
“He rang me because he loved the album and said ‘I had it on repeat in my car. I want to help you’.
“I didn’t know how he was going to help me but he knew a lot of people in the industry.
“I ended up getting a call a week later for the opening spot for Bryan Adams when he toured in 2005.”
From there, Barnes’ career blossomed.
He “sticks together” with other local country music stars – Lee Kernaghan and Adam Brand – who all lend helping hands.
But one of his biggest supporters is super-selling Coast songstress Amy Shark.
“Amy and I are really good mates. We grew up together doing all the same venues around the Coast.
“She’s a great example who just stuck in there, followed her dreams and didn’t give up.
“I’m a male version of her in the sense of her tenacity.”
Now, after 15 years in the industry, he’s soon to release his fifth album – Town Of A Million Dreams, which he said was about country music central
Nashville – and head on a national tour.
He will be play Mo’s Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh on April 19.
Casey Barnes has over seven million streams, 134,000 monthly listeners, 45,000 followers, multiple Golden Guitar nominations, Gold Coast Music Awards nominations and Independent Country Music Association Awards.
I’m a male version of (Amy) in the sense of her tenacity