Barry Seidel, record producer and personal manager, began his musical career at the very young age of fifteen, singing in nightclubs in the Washington D.C. area with Link Wray and his band (The Ray Men). Barry, Link, and Link’s brother Vernon remained lifelong friends.

Performing with Link soon led to studio work, where he sang backup for other artists and even recorded singles of his own.   

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Learning the ropes on stage and in the studio, Barry decided he was more interested in personal management and record production than in performing. His transition to the production side of the music industry came easily. Barry quickly began placing artists on major labels through his own production company. He successfully managed and produced the three most popular bands in the D.C./Baltimore area during the 1960’s, obtaining major record deals for all of them. 

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Following his success in the D.C. area, Barry set his sights on the larger corporate structure of the music industry. This led him to New York City, where he became a Vice-President of Contemporary A&R for Mercury Records. He signed and produced several acts for the label. Upon leaving Mercury, Barry continued to produce several acts for different labels. 

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Taking a brief hiatus from the music business, Barry moved to Tucson, Arizona. He channeled his artistic endeavors in another direction and began creating beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry with good friend and partner Michel Marzano. They were known as Double Eagle Silversmiths. Their creations caught the eye of the famous artist Ted DeGrazia, who handpicked Barry and Michel to be the silversmiths for the DeGrazia Guild.  

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His time in Tucson was a very rewarding and creative chapter in Barry’s life. But ultimately, he missed the music business and headed for Los Angeles. With friends Kim Turner and Suzy Frank,  Barry opened the famous Hong Kong Café. The Hong Kong Café was a restaurant and music venue which became a vital and influential part of the Los Angeles punk scene. 

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Check out this popular PBS documentary, “Chinatown Punk Wars” for a fascinating story about this legendary venue.

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During the Hong Kong years, Barry and Suzy were managing and rehearsing an artist by the name of Billy Burnette with the goal of presenting him to the music industry. When Barry produced the demo of Burnette, it sparked incredible enthusiasm, and the execs of most of the major labels showed up for Burnette's first live show at The Hong Kong Café. As a result there was a very large bidding war among labels. Barry, Suzy and Billy chose to sign with Columbia Records with what was at that time the biggest contract ever awarded to an unsigned artist. Barry produced two Billy Burnette albums with Columbia. 

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After his success in Los Angeles and years as a producer and personal manager, Barry made the move to Nashville, where in his spare time he did occasional work for BMI in their licensing department.

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Barry has enjoyed a long and prosperous career. He remains active in the Nashville scene, where he can often be seen at music venues around the city, supporting his friends and musicians and encouraging new talent.