2006-09-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hard Barney has it's roots in several different rock bands that graced eastern Iowa stages back in the 80's.

Guitarist Leo Leinen, fresh off stints with 'Black Diemond', 'Spare Change' and 'The Name' started 'The Noyz Boyz' with bass player Brent Coffman and drummer Marv Hain back in the mid 80's after a brief period performing with Coffman and Kinross native, drummer Denny Gibson in a reincarnation of Gibson's old band from the early 70's called 'Free Ride'.

This band morphed into 'One Bullit Barney' with the substitution of Steve Mills ('Black Diemond', 'Spare Change', 'The Dial Tones') for Marv Hain on drums. 'One Bullit Barney' played extensively throughout eastern Iowa in the mid 80's, substituting Hain for Mills several times during the incarnation. The group disbanded in the 1987.

Are you with me so far?

Bassist Coffman then helped form the country/rock ensemble 'Hard Driven' in the late 80's with Jon Watson on drums, Keota's Gary Wickencamp, and South English's Matt Brower on guitars. This band performed for several years in the late 80's until Wickencamp retired from active playing. 'Hard Driven' then tapped Leinen to fill in for Wickencamp. As a result, the band started returning more to it's classic rock roots.

OK. So how'd we get the weird name (and no, it has nothing to do with dinosaurs, erect phallic symbols of any type, or any combination thereof)?

Well, you did it. Or at least some of you did. In the early 90's, the band started using it's current name in response to fans' requests, as many had followed the Coffman/Leinen partnership half a decade earlier in 'One Bullit Barney'. Giving in to popular demand, the band recristened itself 'Hard Barney', acknowledging it's roots in both 'Hard Driven' and 'One Bullit Barney'.

In the early 90's, Brent Coffman's brother, Bradley, joined 'Hard Barney' on keyboards, bringing a new layer to the bands classic rock setup, further expanding the bands sound both vocally and instrumentally. Since that time, they have utilized a variety of talented area drummers including Larry TeBockhorst (Sidewinder), Kim Bean (Night Moves), and Andy Ritchie (Conspire), and founding member Jon Watson. Currently, Keswick native Jeff Edmundson is pounding the skins for the group.

Hard Barney--Bio