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I got my start writing, recording and performing my own original songs with my band at the time, The Rhythm Razors, which were released on colored vinyl 45s for the Rock-A-Billy Record Co. in Denver, Colorado in 2007. I also played lead guitar on a dozen or so tracks cut with the label's founder, rockabilly legend Willie Lewis in 2007 to honor the 25th Anniversary of his company.

Jonny Barber - vocals, guitar
Michael Baird - doghouse bass on Dial 000, Hot Tea

Jonny Barber & The Rhythm Razors VINYL 45s are now available at:

www.rockabillyrecordco.com

I also perform an Elvis tribute show as my alter-ego: The Velvet Elvis. Here is a video with some highlights from past performances. Big thanks to Ian P. Gilchrist for making the video for me.

Jonny, aka "The Velvet Elvis", and his band also recreate the excitement of Elvis Presley in his prime, with both the guitar chops, mutton chops, and vocal chops to impress even the most die hard fan. Billy Bop, a rockabilly fanzine in Belgium, went so far as to call Mr. Barber, “Mr. Rock and Roll himself!”

“The greatest thing about playing this music is you get the opportunity to completely rock out four generations of fans and everyone knows the words and can sing along," says Barber (who was given his nickname by a fan who said he 'didn't so much look like Elvis as he did a velvet painting of Elvis'). "Elvis may have been the man on the stage, but I'm the man in the painting."

Along with Elvis, Barber's Las Vegas roots run deep. His great, great, great grandfather, Charles Wesley Hubbard, was one of the first white settlers of Southern Nevada. His great grandma, Hortense Evans Nelson, sang for FDR at the dedication of the Hoover Dam. His great uncle Tommy played horn for Liberace. His mom, Phyllis Barber, was a Las Vegas Rhythmette, was recently inducted into the Nevada Writer's Hall of Fame for a Las Vegas memoir, "How I Got Cultured" and a collection of short stories with Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and others. She also saw Elvis' first show ever in Las Vegas at the New Frontier Hotel, which prompted further rumors about Velvet's lineage.

With advance sell-out club dates in the Colorado area and countless private parties, past clients have included: Microsoft, United Airlines, The Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, ReMax Realtors, Rockmount Clothing Co., Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, KOOL 105 FM, The Palms Casino in Las Vegas, among others. "The Velvet Elvis" is a regular at the People's Fair in Denver, and also has played the Fillmore Auditorium, Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, Clive Cussler's Car Museum, Nissi's, Ogden Theater, Bluebird Theater, Skylark Lounge, 3 Kings Tavern, Denver Press Club, Lion's Lair, Herman's Hideaway, Oriental Theater, Bender's Tavern, the Hyatt downtown, the JW Marriott Hotel ballroom in Cherry Creek, and Ms. S's Kitchen.

One press writer said "The Velvet Elvis sings Elvis doing Cash better than anyone!"

Norm Clarke (Las Vegas Review Journal) said, "[Barber] not only sounds like The King but couldn't resemble him more...and I'd give [him] two thumbs up!"

Dave Flomberg of The Rocky Mountain News wrote:
Lannie's is fit for the King - January 12, 2007

I've seen Elvis.

I've seen Elvis in myriad forms and faces, in taped recordings and on the T-shirts of old women wearing costume jewelry and too much makeup in Memphis. I've seen Elvis on products as diverse as lunchboxes, board games, religious iconography and dinner plates.

I've seen Indian Elvis, black Elvis, Chinese Elvis, old Elvis, baby Elvis, fat Elvis, thin Elvis, jumpsuit Elvis, '68 Comeback Elvis, rockabilly Elvis and even Elvis Costello.

I've spent my fair share of time in Las Vegas, land of 10,000 Elvises. And I've borne witness to Val Kilmer's Elvis, Harvey Keitel's Elvis, Don Johnson's Elvis and Kurt Russell's Elvis on screen.

And on Jan. 8 I saw The Velvet Elvis [Barber] who is, hands down, the best Elvis I've seen (save for that Costello guy) live.

Certainly, the stage was perfect for it. It was the King's birthday - he would have been 72 (or is 72, depending on which tabloid you read) - and Barber was at Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret.

Mrs. Buzz and I made a date night of it with dinner at PF Chang's (love their fried rice) and then a short jaunt over to the club in the old D&F Tower.
Stunning.

Through a medley of rockabilly Elvis-era tunes and Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Hank Williams covers, Barber and bassist Michael Baird put together an educational, high-energy romp through the face of early-'50s rock, sprinkled with snippets of sparkling reverie and punctuated with chunks of cabaret-appropriate comedy. As Mrs. Buzz put it: "I haven't had this much fun in months." And we do have lots of fun.

During the show, Barber asked the crowd if there was interest in an Elvis gospel brunch at Lannie's. If he's the Elvis, I'm a bruncher.

It's just another in a long line of reasons to flock to Lannie's...

"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed seeing you guys play the Skylark last night. As I mentioned, of all the bands I've seen at the Skylark over the last couple of years, you put on the best show of any of them. The swing dancers from the Saturday Night Swing Dance all LOVED the show too; got lots of GREAT response from them. Great work and I can't wait to see you play again!" ---- David Gasten

Voted "Best Elvis" by Denver, Colorado's WESTWORD Magazine, The Velvet Elvis is also an ordained minister who can perform your wedding, and the music after the service.