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**George Barnes** American swing jazz guitarist George Barnes was born on July 17, 1921, in South Chicago Heights, Illinois, and passed away on September 5, 1977, in Concord, California. He began his professional music career at the age of 12, receiving his musicians' union card and touring the Midwest. By 14, he was accompanying blues vocalists like Big Bill Broonzy and Blind John Davis. On March 1, 1938, he recorded "Sweetheart Land" and "It's a Lowdown Dirty Shame" with Broonzy, marking the first commercial recordings featuring an electric guitar. In 1938, Barnes joined the NBC orchestra as a staff musician and became a featured performer on radio shows such as National Barn Dance and Plantation Party. He released his first recording under his name in 1940 on Okeh Records. After being drafted into the Army in 1942, he formed The George Barnes Octet upon his discharge in 1946. He married Evelyn Lorraine Triplett in Chicago on January 17, 1947. In 1951, Barnes signed with Decca Records and relocated to New York City. By 1953, he was part of the orchestra for the television show Your Hit Parade, where he was a featured soloist. In addition to his jazz career, Barnes worked as a New York studio musician, contributing to numerous albums and jingles from the early 1950s to the

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