Barney Barnwell is remembered for running the Plum Hollow Festival, a well-known Moonshiners event filled with his band’s music (and of course, the distilled liquor). His co-stars and fans continue to miss him dearly.

He lives on in the memory of his Discovery stars after his passing in 2011. The recent episode on February 16th 2022 reminded viewers of his former presence on the show, and in the Moonshiners‘ lives.

We explore what happened to Barney, who he was and how he made a mark in the distilling industry. From being Josh’s “hero” to fans often saying how much they miss him, it’s clear that he was incredibly well-liked.

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Who was Barney Barnwell?

Musician and moonshiner Charles “Barney” Barnwell was best known for running the popular music event Barney Barnwell’s Plum Hollow Farm and lived with his family in Campobello, South Carolina.

He was part of rock and roll band The Plum Hollow Band from 1975, who often performed at the festival. Barney also owned a 50-acre farm at the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountain, where the group would host the Moonshiners reunion.

The Moonshining legend went to Chapman High School growing up and “would have sure been the star in the Moonshiners show”, according to a loved one’s post on his Facebook page.

Barney was the husband of Debbie Rhodes Barnwell and the son of Betty Barnwell Hook and the late Robert Burton Barnwell of Gramling.

Fans miss Barney on Moonshiners

Ever since Barney’s passing, Moonshiners fans have remembered him for his legendary mark in the industry and on the Discovery show. One fan described him as “Josh’s hero”.

Looking through Twitter, there is a big hole left in fans’ hearts since Barney died. One viewer simply wrote: “Gotta pay respect to Barney Barnwell #Moonshiners.”

Ron Jackson, who was close friends with Barney, recently wrote on Facebook: “Miss my friend“, alongside a video of him enjoying the Plum Festival he ran for several years.

His wife Debbie Barnwell posted in December 2021: “We have lost a lot of our family. But what a joy it is to know that we may get to see [him] again in heaven. I miss Barney so much this time of year. He loved Christmas time.“

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What happened to the Discovery star?

Barney died after having cancer and two strokes. His passing came shortly after Discovery star Josh Owens began building a still for him. Barney lived from December 6th 1952 until March 29th 2011.

This means the musician and Moonshining legend was 58 years old when he died. In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by several family members, including one step-daughter Christy Miller.

Josh and his friend Billy Canny, also on the Moonshiners show, stayed at the hospital for two weeks prior to Barnwell passing and decided to carry out the project as a memorial to Barnwell.

When Josh began moonshining, he had reportedly begged Barney to let him build an underground still for him for years. Barney then landed a reality show on the History Channel and agreed for Josh to build the room for his band.

Contact: Celine Byford – [email protected]

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