Dave Barnes

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As Dave Barnes tells it, he had a Harry Potter moment while in college. Like the poor, misunderstood boy living under the stairs, Barnes realized that he, too, belonged to a magical tribe. "When I found the magazine Performing Songwriter, I thought, 'You mean there's a group of people who relate to this? Who have a hard time talking when there is a melody in their head...?'"

Seems that lots of fans relate to Barnes these days. His debut album, 'Me and You and the World,' earned him a spot on the top of the iTunes charts. Billboard declared, "Many of the best pop songwriters have come out of Nashville and Dave Barnes is one such singer/scribe."

Not bad for a country boy. Barnes grew up in rural Mississippi, first gravitating to the hip-hop popular with his classmates (first CD: Young MC), and then latching on to the soul, blues and soulful rock favored by his mom and dad. Known for his original sense of humor, Barnes also has a second career in comedy; he recently performed a sold-out comedy show in Nashville.

Barnes never planned for any of this. "I am thankful that many young singer/songwriters ask me, 'Dude, how did you do it?'...But the truth is, 'I don't know. I can't tell you that I've ever planned anything.' And I like that, because it must mean I am meant to do this. Right?"

Find out more about Mocha Club, the charitable organization Dave Supports.

—Christa Fletcher