Delbert Barker (3 December 1932 – 5 March 2024) was an American Rockabilly singer known within the industry as “The King of the Covers.”
Delbert D. Barker was an East Kentucky Appalachian born in Frenchburg, who migrated to Southwest Ohio. While both regions are known as cradles of bluegrass music, there were also quite a number of country musicians who followed this same pathway, young Barker among them. He learned some musical fundamentals in his native Menifee County. His family migrated to Ohio in 1944 in search of a better life, so Delbert took his cultural skills to the Buckeye State, continuing his guitar picking in his adopted home.
Barker signed with him and within the industry became known as "King of the Covers." He recorded over one hundred tracks sounding nearly like those whose songs he sang. He used different aliases when recording such as Buzz Williams, Clem McCoy, Johnnie Pipher, Jug Scott and Terry Wall. He later reflected that he had five different voices which included Carl Smith, Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, Faron Young and Lefty Frizzell. These appeared on such labels as Kentucky, Gateway, Big Four, Queen City, Tops and Parade of Hits.
He married the former Alma Jean Pence on January 23, 1953 which took him away from music for a while, but by 1956 he returned to picking and singing. Veteran artist Louis Innis who was working for King at the time signed him to that label where he recorded eight sides. Innis viewed him as King's answer to Carl Perkins. His best known titles for King were the rockabilly numbers "No Good Robin Hood" and "Jug Band Jump" (previously unreleased).
In 1957, Delbert went to Philadelphia for a time and then to New Jersey where he worked for a year with Shorty and Smokey Warren. A short promo article for an appearance for Shorty Warren and his Western Rangers indicated that along with Del, Shorty's band included Whitey Murphy, Nick Nastos and Tex Cast. In 1959, he came back to Middletown and, in 1960 he left the music business. He then went into law enforcement in Middletown, rising to the rank of lieutenant in charge of detectives.
He continued to play music in his spare time, singing and playing both guitar and steel guitar. He wrote a song, “You Almost Slipped My Mind”, originally recorded by Kenny Price but later picked up by Charley Pride, who took it to #1 on the country charts. After his retirement from the police department in 1985, he became a partner in Central Recording Studio in Middletown and started the Central record label which issued custom records by local country, bluegrass, and gospel artists.
In the mid 2000s, he was performing on the Midwest Opry in New Paris. Later, he was making guest appearances at various small opry-type shows in the local area and usually played twice a month at a Senior Center. He was a member of the Delbert Barker Gospel Trio. And he was inducted to the Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame.
He died 5 March 2024 at his home in Ohio (age 91 years).
(Edited from Hillbilly Music, Discogs, Rocky 52 & Swart Funeral Home obit)
Here's a clip of Delbert Barker singing during WDFB's Share-A-Thon May 2009