Biography
Gary John Barden entered the world on August 27, 1955, in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England. Long recognized as the first vocalist to front the Michael Schenker Group, he later contributed to projects by Statetrooper, Praying Mantis, and Silver before finally launching a solo career in the early years of the new millennium. Schenker, having recently departed UFO, encountered a demo tape from Barden’s band Fraser Nash, which led directly to the creation of the Michael Schenker Group in 1979. The ensuing studio and concert albums—1980’s The Michael Schenker Group, 1981’s MSG, and 1982’s One Night at Budokan—remain widely regarded by longtime devotees as the band’s finest work. A short-lived substitution by former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnett occurred on 1982’s Assault Attack, yet Barden rejoined in time to record 1983’s Built to Destroy and the 1984 live set Rock Will Never Die before leaving the lineup once more. Decades afterward he reactivated his partnership with Schenker, appearing on the multi-vocalist collections Heavy Hitters in 2005 and Tales of Rock N’ Roll in 2006. By 2008 Barden had resumed his role as the group’s sole singer, yielding In the Midst of Beauty, the first full-length studio collaboration between the pair in twenty-four years. Subsequent activities included renewed touring with the Michael Schenker Group and an all-acoustic joint venture, 2009’s Gypsy Lady. On his own, Barden issued the solo efforts Past & Present in 2004, The Agony and the Xtacy in 2006, Love and War in 2007, and the all-covers album Rock ’N Roll My Soul in 2011.