Alexander Barr (born January 21, 1968) is an American musician. He is best known for his time as the lead singer of the

Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...

, whom he joined in 1998 and as of 2025, is currently on hiatus from the band. He was also a founder and lead singer for The Bruisers, which he helped form in 1988 in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. His first band, circa 1984, was called D.V.A. (Direct Vole Assault). He also went on to front 5 Balls of Power with future members of Scissorfight, The Radicts, L.E.S. Stitches, and US Bombs, before he formed The Bruisers. The Bruisers had played many shows with

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

's Dropkick Murphys, and when lead singer Mike McColgan quit the band in 1998 they asked Barr to be the new lead singer. The first album the Dropkick Murphys released with Barr as singer was 1999's '' The Gang's All Here''. As of 2024, the band has released nine albums with Barr with the most recent being 2021's '' Turn Up That Dial'' however he does make an appearance on the band's 2025 album, '' For the People''.

Personal life

Barr is of paternal Scottish descent and maternal German descent. He makes German-language remarks to audiences in German-speaking countries. In December 2003, Barr and his wife Jessica had their first child, Strummer Barr, who was named after

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

. They had their second child, a daughter, December 7, 2008, and their third child and second son on October 10, 2012. In February 2022 it was announced that Barr was forced to drop off of the Dropkick Murphys' 2022 St. Patrick's Day Tour and their 2022 summer tour in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

to take care of his ailing mother, who is battling

Lewy Body Dementia Lewy body dementia (LBD) is an umbrella term for two similar and common subtypes of dementia: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. The ...

. Jesse Ahern, Mikey Rivkees of

The Rumjacks The Rumjacks are a celtic punk band originally formed in Sydney, Australia in 2008. Known for their loud and energetic live shows, the band has released five studio albums, two live albums, and a series of EPs and singles. In 2016, the Rumjac ...

, and Jen Razavi of

The Bombpops The Bombpops are an American punk rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 2007. The band was formed by co-front women Jen Razavi and Poli van Dam; it has had many formation changes since 2007. The band is signed to Fat Wreck Chords. Hist ...

assisted on vocals for certain songs in place of Barr, with

Ken Casey Kenneth William Casey Jr. (born April 15, 1969) is an American musician who is the primary songwriter, one of the lead singers and bassist of the Boston Celtic punk group the Dropkick Murphys. Casey was one of the original members, starting ...

taking over other vocal duties for Barr. As of September 2024, Barr has yet to rejoin the Dropkick Murphys and the band have released two albums in his absence, with Casey now taking over as full-time lead vocalist on the albums and during their live performances. In 2023, Barr provided guest vocals on The Defiant song "Where Did Lady Liberty Go?" and on August 31, 2024, Barr made a surprise appearance during The Defiant's set where they were opening for

NOFX NOFX () was an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin were original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

in Brockton, MA. Dropkick Murphys opened for NOFX the following day however Barr did not join them for their set.

Discography

The Bruisers * ''Intimidation'' (1989) * ''Independence Day'' (1990) * ''American Night'' (1991) * ''Cruisin' for a Bruisin (1993) * ''Gates of Hell'' (1994) * ''Clobberin' Time'' (1995) * ''Mad Parade/Bruisers'' (1995) * ''Up in Fun'' (1996) * ''Still Standing Up'' (1997) * ''Molotov'' (1997) * ''The Bruisers/Charge 69'' (1998) * ''Anything You Want It's All Right Here...: The Authorized Bruisers 1988–1994'' (1998) * ''Bruisers/Randumbs'' (1998) * ''The Bruisers/Dropkick Murphys'' (1998) * ''Singles Collection 1989–1997'' (2004) with Dropkick Murphys * '' The Gang's All Here'' (1999) * ''Mob Mentality'' (split album with The Business) (2000) * ''

The Singles Collection, Volume 1 ''The Singles Collection, Volume 1'' is a collection of non-album tracks by Dropkick Murphys. It is the American version of '' The Early Years'' which was released in Europe, although with some track changes. This album contains everything the ...

'' (2000) * ''

Sing Loud, Sing Proud! ''Sing Loud, Sing Proud!'' is the third studio album from Boston punk rock band the Dropkick Murphys. The album was released on February 6, 2001 through Hellcat. The album is final release to feature founding guitarist Rick Barton, who left ...

'' (2001) * '' Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA'' (2002) * '' Blackout'' (2003) * ''

Tessie "Tessie" is both the longtime anthem of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Boston Red Sox and a 2004 song by the punk rock group Dropkick Murphys. The original "Tessie" was from the 1902 Broadway musical ''The Silver Slipper''. The newer song, writte ...

'' (2004) * ''

Singles Collection, Volume 2 ''Singles Collection Volume 2'' is a b-side and rarities compilation album released by Boston punk rock band Dropkick Murphys, on March 8, 2005. The album, which peaked at No. 26 and spent three weeks on the chart, contains songs released on ...

'' (2005) * ''

The Warrior's Code ''The Warrior's Code'' is the fifth studio album by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. Released in June 2005, it is also their bestselling. It features a dedication to Lowell's own "Irish" Micky Ward who is featured on the album's cover an ...

'' (2005) * ''

The Meanest of Times ''The Meanest of Times'' is the sixth studio album by American celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was released on September 18, 2007, through their vanity label, Born & Bred Records, a division of Cooking Vinyl Records. The album was thei ...

'' (2007) * '' Live on Lansdowne, Boston MA'' (2010) * '' Going Out in Style'' (2011) * '' Live at Fenway'' (2012) * ''

Signed and Sealed in Blood Signing or Signed may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

'' (2013) * ''Rose Tattoo: For Boston Charity EP'' (2013) * '' 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory'' (2017) * '' Turn Up That Dial'' (2021) * '' For the People'' (2025) (appears on the song "The Vultures Circle High")

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Al Singers from New Hampshire American punk rock singers American male singers Living people American people of Scottish descent American people of German descent 1968 births Musicians from Hanover, New Hampshire Dropkick Murphys members

Personal life

Discography

References

Sources

Further reading

External links