OBITUARY: Barney Kilpatrick 1956-2021

Following is an industry obituary for New Orleans music industry identity Barney Kilpatrick from Bob Merlis.

Well known and highly regarded music industry veteran Barney Kilpatrick has died. He had suffered from depression and anxiety for many years and took his own life. He was a highly respected professional and beloved by family and friends. Barney is survived by his wife of 34 years, Valerie, and their four children – Mary, Katherine, Jimmy, and Charlie.

Barney James Kilpatrick was born in Snyder, TX but his family soon moved to New Orleans where he was raised and would forever more be identified with the Crescent City. He thought of New Orleans as his town, irrespective of where he may had been based during his career. He earned an undergraduate degree from LSU where he majored in journalism. He earned a law degree from Tulane soon thereafter.

His career in music was marked by a lifelong association with roots music, a fact that soon became apparent when he served as an early organizer for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He even took piano lessons from New Orleans’ legendary Roosevelt Sykes a/k/a “The Honey Dripper.” He was an on-air talent at WTUL, Tulane’s college radio station, both during both high school and college. He later DJ’d as Barney K at what was then one of the first Top 40 stations in America – WTIX-AM in New Orleans.

After another DJ stint at WLTS in New Orleans, he took the local radio promotion job for IRS Records in Dallas in 1985. From there he was promoted to the IRS home office in Los Angeles, but soon made the switch to Warner Bros. Records, taking on the local Houston promotion gig in 1988. Once again, a promotion landed him back in LA at the WBR Burbank home office in the CHR/Top 40 department, where he soon rose to VP in 1995, working closely with such artists as Van Halen, Madonna, Seal, and Prince.

2000 saw Barney reconnect with his southern roots when he joined Capricorn Records in Atlanta. After Capricorn’s demise he successfully managed and booked The von Trapps for several years from his home in Marietta GA.

In light of the fact that he had managed and booked New Orleans legends The Radiators as far back as his college days, Barney set up his own Rockit Artist Management and Rattlesby Records companies. One of the bands he managed was Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine, who primarily played with symphonies all over America. That cultural relationship led to Barney heading up the Symphony Division at the Skyline Artists booking agency, with whom he had a decades-long relationship.

In recent years, Barney and Valerie had returned home to New Orleans along with his music management services. He most recently was working with Nashville-based manager Neal Spielberg, with whom he co-managed country artist Blane Howard, Southern jam band Perpetual Groove, and bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain.

A memorial for Barney will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, December 11, at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home. Visitation with family and friends will begin at noon, followed by a brief service at 2:00 pm Central Time. For those unable to attend, there will be a livestream available at this link: https://admin.oneroomstreaming.com/email/view/a9cb03a997 There will be a reception afterwards at Rosedale Restaurant from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in Barney’s honor/memory to the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic suicide prevention program and/or to the AFSP Suicide Prevention Program, Louisiana Chapter.

For help or information about Depression, call Lifeline, 131 114, or visit beyondblue.org.au.

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