Orange & Blue

Issue date: 12/1/06 Section: Features

Warren Barfield performs for Third Thursday crowd

Warren Barfield had it all when his self-titled debut album released in 2003. Within two months of the album's release, he topped the radio charts with two hit singles, was tabbed as the #1 New Christian Artist of the Year by Radio & Records, and he was touring with Third Day. Then Barfield began to encounter some catastrophic events. Almost overnight, his record contract was gone, a family friend was dead, and his sister lay in the hospital.

Barfield has been traveling and singing since he was 15. The now 27 year old, began his journey singing at churches in North Carolina where his father was a minister. His entire family provided music for the small congregations. In 2003, he released his first album and was an overnight success. CTW, his original record company, folded while he began working on his second album. Another company tried to pick it up, but the new label also fell by the wayside. Essential Records scooped him up and he started on the album for the third time.

"I didn't know what was going to happen. When I got the phone call saying my label was gone, I figured it was over. My label still held my contract, so they shopped it around to other labels. I had to sit and wait for a year and a half. It was frustrating. I wanted to know either way so I could go on with my life," said Barfield.

On top of the controversy with his label, in 2004, his sister, Rena, and her best friend, Carla, were involved in a car accident. Rena and Carla had been best friends since high school. They were college roommates who lived next door to each other after they got married. They had a singing ministry together, made a record, and were getting ready to tour. Rena and Carla were returning home from the mall one night when Rena lost control of the car. Carla died instantly. Rena was injured and was told she needed to have her leg amputated. She had to deal with the guilt and loneliness of losing her best friend.

"I spent that night with my sister and cried with her. There was nothing I could do to make it better. I wanted so badly to say something to make it all make sense, but there was nothing. I was going through the thing with the record label at the same time and we were both asking how we could ever sing again. It was too much," stated Barfield.

Barfield began to question his faith and began reaching out for answers.

Continued...

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