Barry Hebert

Barry Hebert, singer-songwriter

The youngest of four children in a family that loved music, Barry Hebert grew up listening to singer-songwriters at an early age. He is especially fond of artists like James Taylor, Jim Croce, Jimmy Buffet, the Eagles, as well as the old country masters such as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams. Barry enjoys a long, impressive history of being involved with music; at a young age, he enjoyed singing along with records and the radio. His interest in guitar began when his older sister started taking guitar lessons and showed him a few chords. He started playing in a church choir in junior high school and soon began playing and singing for fun around friends. While pursuing a degree in geology he became one of the original members of a country group called the Basin Brothers Band, performing in and around his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. As the band's popularity grew, they began to venture out from Louisiana and started playing the Texas dancehall circuit. During that time, Barry began writing songs with several of them making their way into the Band's setlist. Eventually, the Basin Brothers returned to their Louisiana roots and they began concentrating on Cajun music. This happened at a time when Cajun music was just beginning to spread beyond Louisiana’s borders. The Basin Brothers Band began touring across the United States and Canada playing festivals, clubs, colleges, and concert halls. The group's first album release on the Flying Fish Label was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Folk Recording" category.

Barry decided to pursue opportunities in geology. He moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and took a break from music. One fateful evening he went out to hear some live music and began talking with some of the band members during their break, he was invited to sit in with them for a couple of songs. The band called him back for their next gig and he eventually became a full time member. The music bug was back, bigger and stronger than ever. As the passion returned and grew, he began playing with several other bands and performing at every available opportunity. The creative spark returned and Barry began writing songs again. With the encouragement of his songwriter friends, Barry's songwriting has evolved into interesting stories incorporating nostalgia, heartfelt sentiment, and humor. His early and varied musical influences are evident in his songs. This is a guy that loves to play music and his enthusiasm is contagious.