Ryan RnB Barber
Ryan "RnB" Barber is a proud staple of Asheville NC's legendary music scene, at the forefront of its funk and R&B community. Drawing from a lifetime of singing, rapping, producing and touring across the nation, Ryan has released 6 full length studio albums.
He has also been featured on many high profile projects, including producing on two of R&B stalwart W. Ellington Felton's recent albums, and also singing and rapping on the 2017 GRAMMY winning album "Infinity Plus One" by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, just one of the groups he actively tours with. ​
Born to a musical family and steeped in gospel, funk and R&B from his first heartbeat, Ryan started his musical education in the church choir at the age of nine, and continued adding to a deepening knowledge of rhythm and percussion by joining the school marching band at sixteen. But it was love for hip hop, jazz, funk, new jack swing and especially R&B that beat in his chest, so he quickly began applying all he'd learned to producing his own tracks, inspired by J Dilla, A Tribe Called Quest, Gerald Levert and Teddy Riley. Mixing a classic beat production feel with soulful Southern singing and a fearless falsetto, Ryan solidified his musical identity as a recording artist as well as a highly sought after performer and collaborator. ​
Ryan is also very active in Asheville's Jazz music scene as a vocalist. He is a member of the local Alien Music Club, which hosts the weekly Jazz Night in town, and his versatility is often heard through crooning ballads, energetic swing tunes & even bossa/samba standards, all to which Ryan adds his signature style. ​
Already known throughout the SouthEast as a standout voice, charismatic bandleader, and musical workhorse, Ryan "RnB" Barber has begun spreading his soaring funkiness across the nation, recently rocking sets at Chicago's Lollapalooza Festival and performing live on SiriusXM in Washington, DC, delivering uplifting messages with a timeless soul that sounds like both yesterday and tomorrow.
Impact from Helene: I've had many gigs canceled, resulting in significant loss of income.
The ask: I have a very hard time asking for handouts, so if you have an event that needs a band or DJ, that would be great...so I guess my ask is more WORK!!
Direct donations: Venmo: Ryan-Barber-20