Today we’d like to introduce you to Eugene & Bernadette Barnes
Hi Eugene & Bernadette , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We have always been performing artists. Whether it’s singing, acting, comedy, we have both always loved entertaining. We didn’t always know how we could make money doing what we love.
Bernadette – Eugene worked at a well known coffee company for 8 years. He worked his way up to assistant manager, he was miserable! Long hours and bad bosses. He finally got out and got a job managing are retail store. After less than a year, that retail chain filed for bankruptcy and closed all it’s stores. I was pregnant with our second child at the time.
Eugene – I was actually relieved when I got the news. I knew deep down I was meant to be doing what I loved. So I went to my pregnant wife and said “Babe, I want to do comedy full time” after she stopped yelling, she agreed, and we haven’t looked back since. That was back in 2014.
Now we run Book The Barnes, a full service party entertainment company. It was a leap of faith that keeps paying off.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship is NEVER a smooth road! Every week, if not every day, we wonder if we’re doing the right thing. There are financial struggles, family struggles, struggles with self-esteem and imposter syndrome. You name it!
We have been evicted. We slept on an air mattress in Brooklyn for almost a year. Things get hard but you keep going. It always gets better…IF you don’t stop.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are The Barnes. We specialize in family friendly entertainment. Between the two of us, we do everything from stand up comedy, singing, rapping, writing, producing, and even a bit of poetry.
As a duo, along with our band we have been featured at prominent venues such as Groove NYC, Ashford and Simpson Sugar Bar, and Silvana. We’ve performed for national organizations including The NAACP, and Rising Tide Capital.
Bernadette is a singer, songwriter, actress, and model. She has been featured at The U.S. Open and The McDonald’s Gospel Fest. She has also performed at The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ where she sang The National Anthem in front of 15,000 fans. Her single “I Have Nothing Left To Say” was featured on the 2024 Grammy U Playlist.
Eugene is a comedian, Actor, host, emcee, writer, rapper, and singer. As a comedian, he’s been featured at some of the countries biggest comedy clubs including Caroline’s on Broadway and Gotham Comedy Club. He has a successful commercial acting career. He’s been featured in commercials for major brands including Udemy and Amazon. He co-wrote “The Come Up” a web series that made a splash on the film festival circuit, winning best comedy script in several festivals including The Vegas Movie Awards and The Oniros Film Awards in New York. He is also one of the stars of the new web series “Still Love”.
We also co-produced “An Evening with The Barnes” a variety show that tells the story of our relationship through comedy and live music. The show had a successful Off-Off Broadway run.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We definitely plan to start working on original music and will hopefully have an EP out by next year.
Eugene has definitely stepped more into acting, actually the whole family has. We hope to book commercials as a family. We also plan to get the kids into acting.
We also plan to further the reach of our live show “An Evening with The Barnes”. We are planning to take it on the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bookthebarnes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookthebarnes?igsh=YnJud2NjYTNoMG5p
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarnesThang?mibextid=kFxxJD
