Max D. Barnes

Barnes gained success as both a songwriter and a recording artist in the 1970s for Ovation Records, Polydor, and Country Roads Records.[1]

Over the course of his career, Barnes recorded more than 400 songs.[2] He composed some of the most popular country songs of the 1980s and 1990s.[3] His works have sold over 50 million records worldwide.[4]

Notable Barnes compositions recorded by others include:

• Delbert McClinton: "Every Time I Roll the Dice"
• George Jones: "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes"
• Waylon Jennings: "Drinkin' and Dreamin'"
• Conway Twitty: "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night", "Don't Take It Away"
• Keith Whitley: "Ten Feet Away"
• Randy Travis: "Storms Of Life", "If I Didn't Have You", and "I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)"
• Vern Gosdin: "Chiseled in Stone", "If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)", "This Ain't My First Rodeo", "Way Down Deep", and "Slow Burning Memory"
• Pam Tillis: "Don't Tell Me What to Do"
• Vince Gill: "Look at Us"
• The Kendalls & Alan Jackson: "Thank God for the Radio"
• Eddy Raven: "Joe Knows How to Live"
• John Anderson: "I've Got It Made", "Let Go of the Stone"

7" single releases by Barnes include the following:[5][6]

• "Ribbons Of Steel"/"Hello Honky Tonk" (Jed Records 1-72, 1972)
• "You Gotta Be Puttin' Me On"/"Growing Old With Grace" (Willex 45-72-13, 1973)
• "Rain All Over You"/"Bordertown Woman Blues" (Polydor PD 14386, 1977)
• "Allegheny Lady"/"All The Way Inn" (Polydor PD 14419, 1977; #97 US country chart)[7]
• "She Loves My Troubles Away"/"This Workin' Man's Got You" (Polydor PD 14466, 1978)
• "Dear Mr. President"/"Patricia" (Ovation OV 1139, 1979)
• "Mean Woman Blues"/"Too Far Gone To Find" (Ovation OV 1142, 1980)
• "Cowboys Are Common As Sin"/"Only For You" (Ovation OV 1149, 1980)
• "Heaven On A Freight Train"/"Patricia" (Ovation OV 1158, 1980)
• "Don't Ever Leave Me Again"/"Singer Of Sad Songs" (Ovation 1164, 1981; #84 US country chart)
• "She Loves My Troubles Away"/"Givin' Out From Givin' In" (Country Roads CRE007, 1981)
• "Rainbows And Roses"/"Send Me Back To Caroline" (Country Roads DBW012, 1981)

12" album releases:

• "Rough Around The Edges" (Ovation OV 1748, 1980)
• "Pieces Of My Life" (Country Roads DBW-LP 1005, 1981)

Prior to gaining fame as a singer and songwriter, he was a semi-truck driver. He drew inspiration for early songs from the trucker's life and encounters.[8]

L to R: Patsy Barnes, Max T. Barnes, Max D. Barnes, 10 August 1983

He was the father of three children, Genevieve Barnes Kephart, DeWayne Patrick Barnes and his youngest son, the award-winning singer-songwriter Max T. Barnes. Another son, Richard Barnes, died in an accident in 1975.[9]

Barnes is a two-time Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year winner,[10] in 1988 for "Chiseled in Stone," co-written with Vern Gosdin, and in 1992 for "Look at Us," co-written with Vince Gill.[11] He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1989 for "Chiseled in Stone".[12] He won the BMI Songwriter Award 18 times.[3] In 1992, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association's International Hall of Fame.[13] He received the following awards:[3]

• "Chiseled in Stone" – 1989 Country Award
• "Don't Take It Away" – 1980 Country Award
• "Don't Tell Me What to Do" – 1992 Country Award/Million-Air (Two million)
• "Drinkin' and Dreamin'" – 1986 Country Award
• "I Can't Love You Enough" – 1978 Country Award
• "I've Got It Made" – 1995 Country Award/Million-Air
• "I Won't Need You Anymore (Always and Forever)" – 1988 Country Award/Million-Air
• "If I Didn't Have You" – 1993 Country Award/Million-Air (Two million)
• "Joe Knows How To Live" – 1989 Country Award/Million-Air
• "Let Go of The Stone" – 1993 Country Award/Million-Air
• "Look at Us" – 1992 Country Award/Million-Air (Two million)
• "Ten Feet Away" – 1987 Country Award
• "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night" – 1982 Pop Award/1982 Country Award
• "Thank God for the Radio" – 1985 Country Award
• "That Just About Does It" – 1990 Country Award
• "Way Down Deep" – 1984 Country Award
• "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" – 1987 Country Award
• "Do You Believe Me Now?" – Million-Air