Barker was born in Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, USA.

Blind nearly all his life, Barker learned his unusually wide repertoire at the School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton, Virginia, as well as at folk festivals in Whitetop, Virginia.

[3] In his early 70s when this LP was recorded, Barker still had a fine singing voice, and the record was praised for its interesting range of material, from ballads (including four Child ballads) to sacred songs "in the older rubato style.

"[4] This record was released on the Folkways label, catalog number FA 2362.

A brief portion of the song "Pretty Sally" from Barker's Saturday performance at that festival is featured in the 1967 documentary film Festival, directed by Murray Lerner.