| Sam Barber | |
| Birth Name: | Samuel Robert Barber |
| Alias: | Sam R Barber |
| Birth Date: | 15 April 2003 |
| Birth Place: | Perry County, Missouri, U.S. |
| Origin: | Frohna, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter |
| Years Active: | 2021–present |
Samuel Robert Barber (born April 15, 2003) is an American country singer-songwriter from Frohna, Missouri. He has released one studio EP, one live EP, and several singles.[1] Both of Barber's EP's and most of his singles were released through Lockeland Springs under Atlantic Records. His single "Straight and Narrow" was his first to chart in the U.S. and is certified platinum by the RIAA.[2] [3]
Barber was born to a mechanic, his father, and a nurse, his mother. He was raised on his family's large ancestral farm in Frohna, Missouri. His focus for much of his child and teenage life was on athletics and school; Barber didn't begin to learn to play music until he learned about his great-grandfather's music ability when he was 16. He wrote some of his now-released songs around this time, but wouldn't release them until years after. Before releasing music, he enrolled in the civil engineering program at the State Technical College of Missouri.[1]
Beginning in 2021, while still enrolled at the State Technical College, Barber released videos on short-form social media platform TikTok performing original songs as well as covers. His first video on the platform displaying his music was posted on March 14, 2021.[1] Barber first gained popularity on the platform when he posted a video of himself performing a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", followed by videos of covers of "Dancing in the Sky" by English duo Dani and Lizzy - which he later released as a single - and "Ophelia" by The Lumineers.[1]
On September 6, 2021, Barber would release his first single, "Run Away High", via digital download and streaming.[4]
In late 2021 and early 2022, Sam Barber auditioned during the filming of the twentieth season of American Idol.[1] Although he received a golden ticket to Hollywood Week following his performance, he was eliminated and neither his audition nor his performance at Hollywood Week would air.[5]
Barber's next release wouldn't be until May of the following year with the single "Ramblin Man" on May 8, 2022.[4] Another long release gap appeared before the releases of "Straight and Narrow" on November 30 and "As Time Passes" on December 15, 2022. The former would eventually become his first charted song and certified gold by the RIAA.[2] [4]
Barber headlined his first event on June 11, 2023 during a sold-out performance at The Basement, a concert venue in Nashville, Tennessee.[6] Shortly following this, Barber performed at Bruce Springsteen's BST Hyde Park series on July 8,[7] and opened for Ed Sheeran on July 14 at a performance at the Royal Oak Theater.[8] Only three months after his first headliner, Barber made his official Grand Ole Opry debut on September 23.[9]
On September 21, 2023, Barber released his debut EP, Million Eyes, through Lockeland and Atlantic.[10] This EP includes five previously-released singles as well as three new songs. Barber has stated that his favorite song off the EP is "Save Me", a ballad about struggles with mental health.[1]
On January 5, 2024, Barber released a live EP, Live EP 001, which includes live performances of some of the songs from Million Eyes and other singles.[11]
On February 9, 2024, Barber released his first single of the year, "S.O.B." Prior to the release of the single, Barber held a fan vote on social media platform Instagram between three potential songs, which "S.O.B." ultimately won.[12] One month later, on March 14, 2024, Barber released his second single of the year, "Streetlight"[13]
On July 19, 2024, Barber released "Tear Us Apart" as a single from the soundtrack album, .[14]
| Title | Details | Peak Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [15] | |||
| Million Eyes | 40 | ||
| Live EP 001 |
| — | |
| Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album / EP | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] | US Rock [17] | AUS [18] | CAN [19] | IRE [20] | |||||
| "Run Away High" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" | ||
| "Ramblin Man" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Straight and Narrow" | — | 13 | 41 | 53 | 29 |
Platinum | Million Eyes | ||
| "As Time Passes" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Drowning" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | Million Eyes | ||
| "Ghost Town" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Dancing in the Sky" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "All That I Have" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "S.O.B." | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" | ||
| "Streetlight" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Tear Us Apart" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||