Tributes pour in for Barry

By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 13:38, Tuesday, 03 June 2008

The Cumbrian music scene is today mourning the death of a man described as one of the most talented musicians ever to come out of the county.

Barry Dunnery, second right, with his band Necromandus

Egremont guitarist Barry Dunnery, known to many as Baz, died on Thursday following a long battle with cancer.

The 56-year-old, who had two grown up children, played with numerous bands in and around west Cumbria and had several opportunities to hit the big time over the years.

His first big break was playing leads guitar with the rock band Necromandus, during the seventies.

The group supported Black Sabbath on their Volume 4 tour in 1973, where they attracted the attention of fellow guitarist Tony Iommi.

Iommi went on to manage Necromandus for a while but resigned shortly afterwards because of his commitments to Sabbath.

Barry, the brother of former It Bites guitarist Francis, also became a friend of rock megastar Ozzy Osborne, who once begged him to join his new band Blizzard of Oz.

He later joined the band Violinski and went on to have a Top 40 hit with the single Clogdance. But Barry, who played with many other groups over the years, gave up the chance of a glittering showbiz career to go back to a normal life.

He chose to work as a joiner in west Cumbria – but never gave up his music.

Over the years he was an inspirational influence on the music scene and well respected for his natural talent and good nature.

Friend and music producer Tom Tyson described Barry as the best guitarist ever to come out of Cumbria.

“He was the very best. A real talent, but he was also a character. I loved his humour and his wit. He had a very dry sense of humour,” he said.

“We always had a laugh with him and will remember him that way more than anything.”

Whitehaven musician John Marcangelo knew Barry for 40 years and wrote and produced the hit Clogdance. He said: “He was a great musician and was a big influence on just about everyone in this area. He will be sadly missed.”

But Barry’s partner Sue Roberts said although music was a huge part of his life, there was much more to him than just his guitar.

“There will be a huge amount said and written about his music but his ability came from what was within.

“He was a fantastic musician and had the most amazing sense of humour but there was another side to him.

“He was a really good man and had a really deep, thoughtful and honest side to him,” she said.

“He didn’t even understand the concept of hypocrisy and he genuinely did have charisma. But he had no vanity, if you said that to him he would have been shocked. He didn’t deliberately set out to charm people but it came naturally.”

Sue added that he was a Cumbrian by nature and never wanted to leave the area.

“He could have gone other places, he had all sorts of opportunities, but he liked it here. He wasn’t a city type, he was a free spirit,” she said.

“We talked a lot, about everything and anything and we liked discovered places, just setting off and wandering, not knowing where we’d end up. One of the most special things about him was that he was just himself. He really is irreplaceable.”

Carlisle musician Olly Alcock knew Barry from playing gigs across the county.

He said: “I’d known him for a long time and I’m very sad to hear of his death. He was a top man, a good lad and always had a twinkle in his eye. I didn’t see him as much as I would have liked but when you did it was memorable.

“To say he was a good friend would be wrong but he was definitely a soul mate. He was a great guitar player and I had a lot of respect for him. His brother has had more critical acclaim but they were both very good technical players.

“The thing about Barry was that he had soul.”

Barry is survived by his two grown up children, John and Kylie Dunnery, who Sue said he thought the world of.