Updated September 24, 2009

Q- Who or what IS Barnabas?

A- Barnabas was a new wave/hard rock/metal group started by guitarist Monte Cooley in Los Angeles in 1977. The group remained together until 1986. They recorded five studio albums before breaking up.

Q-  How do I obtain Barnabas' recordings? 

A- The original recordings on vinyl and cassette are no longer available through retail channels. The titles themselves have been discontinued for years now. You can frequently buy the music from Internet Christian music dealers and exchanges, and sometimes they turn up on online auctions. You can also post a message on the homeplanet manifest (our message board) and let other fans know if you are looking for a particular title on vinyl or cassette.

The first CD reissue, a compilation of the first two albums on one CD, was released in 1999. 

Approaching Light Speed came out in late 2000, as well as a collector's item CD called Artifacts and Relics. 

A single CD comprising Feel the Fire and Little Foxes was finally released in April 2004 by Retroactive Records.

There is no single source for the Barnabas CDs. Your best bet is to either search online for sellers, or post a message on the manifest and ask if anyone has copies for sale.

Q- Is there going to be a Barnabas reunion?

A- The possibility HAS been discussed, but it is most likely not going to happen. Only a couple of the original members have had an actual interest in doing a reunion of any duration.

Q-  Why is there a Web site for a band that broke up in 1986?

A- In a word: "FANS". Fans of a band stick with them and keep the music, enthusiasm, and body of knowledge and lore alive, even after the band has ended as a collective performing entity.

MichaelV, the publisher of the homeplanet, is a Barnabas fan who decided at the beginning of 1997 that the legacy of the band had to be preserved. He published the original site in February that year. 

Since then, the participation of hundreds of online Barnabas fans from around the world, as well as nearly all of the band's members, has proven the merit of the site.

Many years later, the homeplanet continues to serve as a repository of all things Barnabas.

Q- Where are the former members? 

Gary Mann lives in Texas and is a computer professional.
Kris Klingensmith lives in San Diego and has gone back to college.
Brian Belew, at last report, is in Iowa.
Nancy now lives in Oklahoma.
Mick Donner lives in Dunedin, Florida and was previously a guitar designer for Peavey, Parker Guitars, and Dean Guitars.
Monte Cooley, in his own words, is "now an Enigma somewhere in Idaho."
Kris Brauninger lives in Minneapolis.
Lance Johnson lives in Washington state and worked in mail order music sales.
Carolyn Joy is in Washington state and is a full-time mom.

Q- Tell us about Nancy Jo Mann, and what she is doing these days.

A- Nancy, former lead singer of Barnabas, is quite a remarkable lady. She has been through many trials in her life. Many people do not know about her harrowing ordeals, including a serious motorcycle crash in the late '70's, a spider bite that nearly proved fatal, and an botched abortion at age 22 that devastated her physically and emotionally.

In 1982, while a member of Barnabas, Nancy founded the organization called WEBA (Women Exploited By Abortion), which continues to this day. Nancy was very active with WEBA for well over a decade.

She recorded songs for a CD called The Value of Life in the late 80's.

Nancy has had a number of health problems over the years, but now seems healthy and happy again.

In 2005 and 2006, Nancy made sporadic appearances on the manifest. She is now a frequent visitor, and you can reach her there by posting.

She had a bad fall two years ago that caused her to hit her head on the ground and caused at least a bad concussion and most likely some lingering brain damage. After a great deal of rehab, she has been able to regain brain function and is doing well again.

After recovering from the traumatic brain injury she suffered in the fall in 2005, Nancyjo is back in action. In the summer of 2009, she appeared in an episode of "Facing Life Head-on", a syndicated TV program produced by the Life Issues Insttute of Cincinnati, Ohio. In this episode, host Brad Mattea interviewed Nancyjo and had her retell the horrifying experience of her abortion and its life-long aftermath.