Al Barr | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Alexander Barr |
Born | Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S. | January 21, 1968
Genres | Celtic punk, hardcore punk, Oi!, punk rock |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1984–present |
Website | http://www.dropkickmurphys.com |
Alexander Barr (born January 21, 1968) is an American musician. He has been the lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys since 1998. He was also a founder and lead singer for The Bruisers, which he helped form in 1988 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His first band circa 1984, was called D.V.A. (Direct Vole Assault). He also went on to front 5 Balls of Power, with future members of Scissorfight, The Radicts, L.E.S. Stitches, and US Bombs, before he formed The Bruisers. His band the Bruisers had played many shows with Boston's Dropkick Murphys, and when Dropkick lead singer Mike McColgan quit the band in 1998 the Murphys asked Barr to be the new lead singer. The first album the Dropkick Murphys released with Barr as singer was 1999's The Gang's All Here.
Personal life
Barr is of paternal Scottish descent and maternal German descent. He makes German-language remarks to audiences in German-speaking countries.
In December 2003, Barr and his wife Jessica had their first child, Strummer Barr, who was named after Joe Strummer of The Clash.[1] They had their second child, a daughter, December 7, 2008, and their third child and second son on October 10, 2012.
In February 2022 it was announced that Barr was forced to drop off of the Dropkick Murphys' 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Tour and their 2022 summer tour in Europe to take care of his ailing mother, who is battling Lewy Body Dementia. Jesse Ahern, Mikey Rivkees of The Rumjacks, and Jen Razavi of The Bombpops will be assisting on vocals for certain songs in place of Barr, with Ken Casey taking over other vocal duties for Barr.[2]As of July 2023, Barr has yet to rejoin the Dropkick Murphys and band have released two albums in his absence with Casey now taking over as full-time vocalist while Barr is on hiatus from the band.
References
- ↑ "Congratulations to Al Barr and his wife on their new baby!". Epitaph Records. 12 December 2003.
- ↑ "Dropkick Murphys Co-Vocalist Al Barr Drops Off Band's 2022 Tour to Care for Ailing Mother". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
Sources
- Helmer, April (April 23, 2004). "Dropkick Murphys always sing loud, proud". The Express Times. Dropkick Murphys.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20.
Further reading
- Herwick, Edgar B., III, "Interview with Al Barr", Front Row Boston, transcript, WGBH, aired July 5, 2014.
External links
- Al Barr discography at MusicBrainz