Barksdale born in Detroit, Michigan, originally played bass and banjo before settling on guitar.
[3] He played on the hit "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia,[3] and was music director for the Ink Spots.
[2] He played on recordings by Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughan.
[3] Among his other jazz associations were Milt Hinton, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, and Louis Armstrong.
[3] He also played guitar in the studio for pop and soul musicians such as The Drifters (including on "Under the Boardwalk" and "Saturday Night at the Movies") and Ben E.