Loren & LJ Barrigar

Loren started playing guitar when he was only four years old, and by the time he was six, he played the Chet Atkins hit “Yackety Axe” in front of thousands of country music fans at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He went on to study with Jimmy Atkins (Chet’s brother) which led to a touring career with his family band from Nashville to Las Vegas. Since settling down in Central New York, he has been in constant demand as a studio musician.​

Loren's finely-honed songwriting skills have launched his melodies on NBC’s #1-rated show “ER”, “The Young and The Restless” and on a Christmas CD with BB King and Patti Labelle. He has performed with some of the best acoustic players in the world including Stephen Bennett, Richard Smith, John Knowles, Muriel Anderson, and Loren’s friend and mentor Tommy  Emmanuel, the Australian guitar sensation. He has also recorded with Multiple Grammy winner and legendary producer Lloyd Maines.

Close to seven years ago at age sixteen, LJ picked up his guitar and started to play again. He had learned basic chords as a youngster and had been around his father’s playing and performing his entire life. LJ paid attention, watched, and listened. However, as a teen, he focused on school and athletics and left the guitar for quite a while. Finally, he decided to see if he could learn to play songs like his dad famed guitarist Loren Barrigar.

LJ began to play in earnest by listening to his dad’s CDs; he learned by ear, effort, and practice. A willingness to seek advice meant he asked his dad as well as his dad’s performing partner, Mark Mazengarb, to teach him how to improve his play. He also watched videos of his guitar hero and mentor, his dad’s friend, famed Australian guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel.

Self-taught musician, LJ is now playing with his dad as part of their finger-picking style duo and performing all over Central New York and beyond. They have been on the road doing shows and appearing on the radio in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Arkansas. Audiences are enthusiastic and many fans return frequently to local shows.

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