Biography

Barrie Cunningham is best known for his incredible tributes to the legendary Neil Diamond, Jimmy Buffett, and Neil Young. He has spent most of his life entertaining in clubs, lounges, showrooms, concert halls and on cruise ships around the world. He began performing in coffee houses singing folk music when he was 15. He later made his mark in Southern California with the popular rock-a-billy group Black Slacks. He has received many awards including Entertainer of the Year in San Diego, California and was a principal act in a show voted Show of the Year in Reno, NV for 3 years. In 2008, he performed a concert for the opening of the new American Embassy at the historic Brandenburg Gate-Berlin, Germany.

Since 1990, Barrie performed about 300 dates per year, 2 shows per day, and entertained more than 3 million show-goers. He is a popular guest on TV talk shows and receives a great deal of news press in the cities where he performs. Although best known for his live performances, he is also a recording artist with several releases. Barrie performs original material as well as songs composed by other artists.

Barry caught his first glimpse of Diamond when he was sixteen years old and both happened to be playing the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, New York. “I was into Phil Ochs and Woody Guthrie, and there he was singing those songs, too. Picture Neil Diamond singing ‘If I Had A Hammer’.” Barry brings that magic of Neil Diamond to the stage with his incredible look and precise vocals.

A professional musician for more than thirty years, Barrie is especially gratified when fans acknowledge him with comments like, “You look and sound more like Neil Diamond than he does.” Barrie thinks fans buy into the essence of Diamond they like best during his performance. “For some, it’s the look – for others, the voice…. It’s the highest compliment they pay me.”

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