James Joseph Barber Jr.

James J. Barber, Jr., 57, of Louisville, KY, stepped off stage for the final time on August 30, after a hard fought battle with liver disease. A musician, pawnbroker, cook, husband, brother, and above all, a true character-James lived life with theatrical flair and a generous heart.
Born on December 17, 1967, James was destined to raise hell, preferably in costume. He was a fixture in Louisville's punk rock scene, playing bass in the seminal band Brain Dead and later founding the notorious group Nothing. After James's passing, hIs friend Brian Eugene Smith recalled the night the band was banned from the Butchertown Pub.
"German military gear and strippers/light S&M bondage played out on both sides of the stage. You know, the usual James stuff," Smith remembered. "Sometime during the set they threw a bowling ball around and tried to cleave it with an axe. They failed to do so but did take a sizeable chunk of the dance hall floor out. They may have even axed a small TV, it kinda became a blur. At the end of the night they slit open a bag of flour and covered everything in a fine mist of white powder."
James graduated from Atherton High School and spent his life immersed in music and community. He was equal parts chaos and art, but beneath the spectacle was a gentle soul who gave freely to fellow musicians, loaning instruments and offering support, especially as co-owner of Derby City Pawn.
His friend Chris Abromavage recalled how James reignited his passion for punk by refusing to buy his bass, calling it "a part of local music history." That act of reverence and
encouragement was typical of James-he saw the sacred in the messy, and the magic in the mundane.
No one knew him better than his wife, April, who stood by him during his battle with liver disease and was with him in his final moments.
"We met by chance -three times in one week -and he made me laugh before I even knew his name," she said. "Once we started talking about cats, we shared a hundred photos and a thousand moments. I found my first four leaf clover with him by my side. He asked me to dinner, and the rest was life: messy, sacred, ours."
James will be remembered with a visitation at Rattermans Funeral Home on Lexington Road, Friday, September 12, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. His funeral will be held Saturday, September 13, at 1:00 pm at the funeral home followed by burial at Cave Hill Cemetery among Louisville's legends. A final salute will take place following the burial at Turner's on River Road, where friends and family will gather to celebrate the man who made every moment unforgettable.
James Barber didn't just live-he performed life. And the curtain may have fallen, but the echoes of his laughter, music, and mischief will ring on.
Expressions of sympathy in lieu of flowers can be made to Roots101.org at https://www.roots-101.org/checkout/donate?donatePageId=64ee2c1574b7e921873e3a2d