Major Works
R&B Top Ten Hits
- 1955–“Sincerely” (Chess Label)
- 1955–“Most of All”(Chess Label)
- 1956–“We Go Together”
- 1956–“See Saw”(Chess Label)
- 1957–“Please Send Me Someone to Love”(Chess Label)
- 1958–“Ten Commandments of Love” (Chess Label)
Some Other Hits
- 1954–“Baby Please” (Chance)
- 1955–“Secret Love” (Chance)
- 1956–“Foolish Me” (Chess)
- 1957–“Don’t Say Goodbye”
- 1958–“Blue Velvet” (Chess)
Prentiss Barnes: A Biography
by Willie Lee (SHS)
During the 50’s and 60’s, Prentiss Barnes was a member of the famous doo-wop band called The Moonglows. Doo-wop was a musical form that flourished during the 1950’s. Groups were generally comprised of four or five members, bass/ baritone /tenor and lead sung in three or four part harmony. “The Moonglows were among the finest black harmony groups of the Fifties,” according to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Museum, which inducted Barnes in March of 2000. Prentiss Barnes’s incredible bass voice has brought pleasure to many in the past and to millions still today. His significant contributions to our musical heritage accentuates the importance of current supporting efforts to give him his long due credit.
Prentiss Barnes was born to Garfield and Della Barnes on April 25, 1925, in Magnolia, Mississippi. His large family of fourteen consisted of ten brothers and four sisters. During our telephone interview, he fondly named them from the youngest to the oldest brother. They are Jellee, Jethro, Samuel, James, Tero, Houston, Clifton, Simon and Buster. Maggie lean, Bertha, Julia Mae and Beulah Mae were the girls. Barnes grew up on the family’s large 200 acres farm in Magnolia raising cotton, corn, cucumbers, watermelons, and other vegetables to sell from the truck patch. After his father passed away at the age of 95, half of the farm was sold, but the rest was continually farmed.
Because of the long hours spent farming, Barnes had little formal education as he only had time to attend elementary school at Yale Grade School. School wasn’t always a pleasant experience for him. For example, because of his playfulness, his teacher would often settle him down with a paddling and that caused him to resent school at times. As a teenager, he enjoyed sports like basketball, football, and baseball.
In his early teens, Prentiss Barnes moved to New Orleans and worked odd jobs. Later, he relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. In my interview, Barnes said that the entire family had musical talent, but he had the passion to follow his dream. He actually got started singing in church and picking up performing jobs around town (Barnes).
Barnes met Harvey Fuqua, Bobby Lester, Pete Graves, and Billy Johnson in Kentucky where they started a band called the Crazy Sounds in 1951. That group was discovered and promoted by Alan Freed, who eventually changed their name to The Moonglows (Lucas). Alan Freed was a dynamic disc jockey with a radio show and connections to help this group reach audiences. The Moonglows’ unique style brought them success. They could sing sweet harmony with or without music. Barnes’ favorite song “Sincerely” stayed on the charts for twenty straight weeks. The group’s R& B TOP 10 hits were “Sincerely, “Most of All,” “We Go Together,” “See Saw,” “Please Send Me Someone to Love,” and “Ten Commandments of Love, ” according to the article entitled “Paying Tribute to Harvey Fuqua. In these songs, Prentiss Barnes’ incredible bass is heard clearly as each member harmonizes to perfect the new “blow note” technique (Smooth as silk, sweet as honey, hot as fire). It doesn’t seem possible that a man with Barnes’ ability and talent could do so without any formal training, but he had none. He found time to practice on the piano and saxophone when he had time after work (Barnes). After touring for about ten years together, the Moonglows split up. Barnes headed for California in April of 1969 to start his solo career (Elam 2).
Unfortunately, Barnes never made it to California because of a car accident that left him hospitalized and rehabilitating in a San Antonio, Texas, hospital for two years. In a rush to cross a double train track, he drove his Chrysler Imperial over a double train track with no thought of a second train coming when the first caboose passed (Elam 2). This terrible collision left him with serious injuries to his hip, legs, and arms. Barnes’ left arm was amputated and the shattered hip caused his right leg to shorten. After two years and ten operations, Barnes returned home to Mississippi (Lucas).
Feeling distraught, he returned to Jackson and hid out so no one would recognize him. Barnes said, “I didn’t want people to see my condition. I had started with nothing, and now I had nothing again.” Feeling depressed over his loss, he turned to drinking to kill his pain and to remove his feelings of hopelessness. He only had Social Security to make ends meet, so he did the best he could while living in a small apartment on Albermarle Road in Jackson (Lucas).
Things began to look up for Barnes when a newspaper article printed in the Jackson paper in 1981 explored his famous career and his setbacks. Bill Morris, an insurance executive, initiated a friendship with Barnes. Morris had enjoyed The Moonglows sounds as a teenager and appreciated the solid contribution that Barnes had made to music. Morris, along with others, made arrangements to establish This Magic Moment Preservation Trust Fund to provide Barnes with the well-deserved royalties that he had not received for his gift of music. (Trust Fund Created to Aid Musicians). With donations from all sectors of the community, Barnes will very soon be compensated for his valuable role with the Moonglows. On April 26, 2002, This Magic Moment Extravaganza will hold a fund raising benefit for Barnes and others who might qualify for this honorarium (Pettus).
In March 2000 at the 15th Annual Induction Ceremony of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in New York, Barnes received the honor of being inducted. At the age of 75, he was honored with the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Mississippi “Ageless Hero” Award.(This Magic Fund 1). He was also inducted into the United Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame
Today, Prentiss Barnes still enjoys singing and listening to music. When asked his personal opinion on today’s rap music, he replied,” The young generation is all for it. I don’t care for it because it is all about the money, drugs, and murder. A good sweet love song will beat it any day.” The Moonglows music has been described by one author as “Smooth as silk, sweet as honey, hot as fire.” Prentiss Barnes is a musician who can’t be ignored because of the great job he has done bringing us love songs that play continually in the hearts of millions.
Prentiss Barnes died in 2006 at the age of 81.
https://youtu.be/Fm_EFJT9Yps?rel=0
Timeline
- 1925–Barnes was born in Magnolia, Mississippi
- 1946–Sister died in New Orleans
- 1951–Crazy Sounds formed in Kentucky, later renamed the Moonglows
- 1952–Moonglows form in Cleveland/First record –“I Can’t Tell A Lie”
- 1954–Moonglows first TOP 10 HIT “Sincerely”
- 1955–Moonglows R&B Hit #5 on Chart “Most of All”
- 1956–Moonglows R&B Hit #9 on Chart “We Go Together”
- 1957–Moonglows R&B Hit #5 on Chart “Please Send Me Someone to Love”
- 1958–Moonglows group dissolved
- 1969–Prentiss heads to California in hopes of starting a solo career
- 1969–Devasting car crash that changed his life
- 1972–Moonglows reunite with Harvey Fuqua, Bobby Lester, Alexander Graves, Doc Williams and Chuck Williams
- 2000–Inducted into Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
Trust Fund established to help Barnes - 2002–Trust fund established to provide royalties to Barnes.
- 1952– The first Moonglows record, “I Just Can’t Tell No Lie,” is released on Champagne Records, owned by Alan Freed.
- 1953– The Moonglows release the first of five singles for the Chance label.
- 1954– Debuting on the Chicago-based Chess label, the Moonglows release “Sincerely,” which is the biggest hit of their career. It tops the R&B chart and makes the Top Twenty on the pop chart.
- 1955– The Moonglows hit #5 on the R&B chart with the Chess release “Most Of All.”
- 1956– The Moonglows appear in ‘Rock Rock
- 1953– The Moonglows release the first of five singles for the Chance label.
- 1954– Debuting on the Chicago-based Chess label, the Moonglows release “Sincerely,” which is the biggest hit of their career. It tops the R&B chart and makes the Top Twenty on the pop chart.
- 1955– The Moonglows hit #5 on the R&B chart with the Chess release “Most Of All.”
- 1956– The Moonglows appear in ‘Rock Rock
The Moonglows’ second-biggest hit, “See Saw,” enters the singles charts. It reaches #6 on the R&B side and #25 on the pop side. - 1957– The Moonglows hit #5 on the R&B chart with “Please Send Me Someone To Love” on Chess records.
- December 2, 1957– The last of the Moonglows’ singles to chart, “Ten Commandments of Love” is recorded on Chess records. More work on the song is done in 1958 and it is a hit that fall.
- 1959- Twelve Months of the Year,” featuring Marvin Gaye, who replaced the departed Harvey Fuqua in the Moonglows, is recorded.
- 1960– The Moonglows disband, although singles are released under their name by Chess into 1961.
- 1972– A Reformed Moonglows lineup releases “Sincerely ’72.”
- March 6, 2000– The Moonglows are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the fifteenth annual induction dinner. Paul Simon is their presenter.
Telephone Interview with Prentiss Barnes (March 20, 2002)
by Willie E. Lee, Jr. (SHS)
by Willie E. Lee, Jr. (SHS Researcher)
Where were you born?
Magnolia, Mississippi, out in the country
What is your birthdate?
April 25, 1925. I will be 78 next month.
Who were your parents?
Garfield and Della Barnes
Please name your brothers and sisters
Ten boys starting with the youngest: Jellee, Jethro, Samuel, James, (Prentiss), Tero, Houston, Clifton, Simon, and Buster.
Sisters: Maggie Lean, Bertha, Julia Mae, and Buela Mae.
What did you do growing up?
We mostly worked on my father’s 200 acres farm raising cotton, corn, cucumbers, watermelons, sugar cane and other products to sell from the truck. We raised cows, chickens, and hogs. After my father died, we sold half of it.
Do you have any children?
Yes, two by my first wife, Christine. We separated in the early 50’s. Later I remarried. My second wife’s name is Jewell Sims.
Did you have favorite musicians?
I loved music. There was no one in particular.
Who were some famous people you have met?
George Kirby, Red Foxx, Elvis Presley, The Dales, The Mangoes, The Platters, The Supremes, The Cadillacs, and Ricky Nelson.
How much education did you receive?
I only went to Yale Grade School but not any high school education.
Why didn’t you go further?
I had to work on the farm to help my dad, who lived to be 95 years old.
Did you like school?
I was kinda playful like a class clown and got some paddlings. At the time, I felt like I learned more out of school than in school.
Did you ever have any kind of music lessons to help train your voice?
None. I practiced on the piano and sax when I had free time.
When did you actually start singing?
I started in church. I would get with the fellas and sing at different events around town.
Do you have advice for musicians starting out?
Stay in school and get a good education. That is important if the music career doesn’t work out, you’ll have something to fall back on.
Did you have a stage name?
No. I had a car accident some years ago.
Do you like sports?
Baseball, basketball, and football.
What are your favorite foods?
Bar-B-Q, catfish, watermelon, cantaloupes, country cakes, red beans, and rice /gumbo.
How do you feel about rap music?
The young generation is all for it. I don’t care for it. I like the beats. It’s all about the money. Rapping is about drugs, murder. A good sweet love song will beat it any day.
I’ve heard about the celebration. When is the celebration planned for?
April 26, the day after my birthday.
Related Websites
- Kentucky Music Hall of Fame: The Moonglows, 2015 Induction class (PDF)
- Louisville Music News: Louisville-Bred Moonglows inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by Bill Ede, April 2000
Bibliography
- Barnes, Prentiss. Telephone interview. 20 March 2002 by Willie Lee.
- Elam, Peggy. “ The Glow of Life.” Clarion Ledger. May 1, 1981. 20 March 2002. <http:www.thismagicmomentfund.org/g1ow_of lifep.jpg>
- Lucas, Sherry. “Jackson Moonglows Member Get His Doo-Wop Due.” Clarion Ledger. March 5, 2002. 19 March 2002.
- Morris,William. “This Magic Moment Fund.” March 1, 2002.19 March 2002.
<http://www.thismagicmomentfund.org/introduction.html>. - “Musical Giants.” March 5, 2002. 19 Marc http://www.wayno.com/rhino.art/moonglows.html>.
- “Paying Tribute to Harvey Fuqua”.26 March 2002. <http://tracy-prinze.tripod.com/atributetomotown/id32.html>.
- Pettus, Gary. “Music Makers To Get Money.” Clarion Ledger. March 19,2002. <http://www.thismagicmomentfund.org/pressconferencejpg>.
- “Prentiss Barnes.” Associated Press.Online. March 5,2002. 19 March 2002. <http://www.rockhall.com/hof/PrentissBarneshonoredbyfoundation>.
- “Soulful Kinda Music.” March 5, 20002. 19 March 2002 <http://members,tripod,com/soulfulkindamusic/harvey.html>.
- “Smooth As Silk, Sweet As Honey, Hot As Fire.” March 6, 2002. 19 March 2002. <http://www.harveyfuqua.com/moonglows.html>.
- “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum: Hall of Fame: Inductee Detail. March 5, 2002. 19, March 2002. <http://www/rockhall.com/nof/Inducteeasp?id=155>.
- “Trust Fund Created To Aid Musicians Denied Royalties.” The Commercial Appeal. March 5, 2002. 19 March 2002.
- “2001 Central Region Heroes.” March 18,2002. http://www.bcbsms,com/2001_central.asp>.