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Al Barr

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Al Barr
Al Barr performing at the No Sleep Til Festival in 2010
Al Barr performing at the No Sleep Til Festival in 2010
Background information
Birth nameAlexander Barr
Born (1968-01-21) January 21, 1968 (age 56)
Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.
GenresCeltic punk, hardcore punk, Oi!, punk rock
InstrumentVocals
Years active1984–2022 (hiatus)
Formerly ofDropkick Murphys, The Bruisers, Direct Vole Assault, 5 Balls of Power
Websitehttp://www.dropkickmurphys.com

Alexander Barr (born January 21, 1968) is an American musician. He is best known for his time as the lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys, whom he joined in 1998 and as of 2024, is currently on hiatus from the band. He was also a founder and lead singer for The Bruisers, which he helped form in 1988 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His first band, circa 1984, was called D.V.A. (Direct Vole Assault). He also went on to front 5 Balls of Power with future members of Scissorfight, The Radicts, L.E.S. Stitches, and US Bombs, before he formed The Bruisers.

The Bruisers had played many shows with Boston's Dropkick Murphys, and when lead singer Mike McColgan quit the band in 1998 they asked Barr to be the new lead singer. The first album the Dropkick Murphys released with Barr as singer was 1999's The Gang's All Here. As of 2024, the band has released nine albums with Barr with the most recent being 2021's Turn Up That Dial.

Personal life

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Barr is of paternal Scottish descent and maternal German descent. He makes German-language remarks to audiences in German-speaking countries.

In December 2003, Barr and his wife Jessica had their first child, Strummer Barr, who was named after Joe Strummer of The Clash.[1] They had their second child, a daughter, December 7, 2008, and their third child and second son on October 10, 2012.

In February 2022 it was announced that Barr was forced to drop off of the Dropkick Murphys' 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Tour and their 2022 summer tour in Europe to take care of his ailing mother, who is battling Lewy Body Dementia. Jesse Ahern, Mikey Rivkees of The Rumjacks, and Jen Razavi of The Bombpops assisted on vocals for certain songs in place of Barr, with Ken Casey taking over other vocal duties for Barr.[2]As of September 2024, Barr has yet to rejoin the Dropkick Murphys and the band have released two albums in his absence, with Casey now taking over as full-time lead vocalist on the albums and during their live performances.

In 2023, Barr provided guest vocals on The Defiant song "Where Did Lady Liberty Go?" and on August 31, 2024, Barr made a surprise appearance during The Defiant's set where they were opening for NOFX in Brockton, MA. Dropkick Murphys opened for NOFX the following day however Barr did not join them for their set.

Discography

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The Bruisers

  • Intimidation (1989)
  • Independence Day (1990)
  • American Night (1991)
  • Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (1993)
  • Gates of Hell (1994)
  • Clobberin' Time (1995)
  • Mad Parade/Bruisers (1995)
  • Up in Fun (1996)
  • Still Standing Up (1997)
  • Molotov (1997)
  • The Bruisers/Charge 69 (1998)
  • Anything You Want It's All Right Here...: The Authorized Bruisers 1988–1994 (1998)
  • Bruisers/Randumbs (1998)
  • The Bruisers/Dropkick Murphys (1998)
  • Singles Collection 1989–1997 (2004)

with Dropkick Murphys

References

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  1. ^ "Congratulations to Al Barr and his wife on their new baby!". Epitaph Records. 12 December 2003.
  2. ^ "Dropkick Murphys Co-Vocalist Al Barr Drops Off Band's 2022 Tour to Care for Ailing Mother". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-03-12.

Sources

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Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al Barr.


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