About Wendy
Now known as “The Dunedin Diva,” Wendy brings her original music to many local venues, continually gaining notoriety from both her fans and fellow artists.
Some of the best of the Tampa Bay area’s top musicians she performs with are: Guitarists, Johnny Greenwell, Jimmy Griswold, Doug Bliss, Bart Hanchey and Rick Hatfield (also an extraordinary harp player); drummers Rick Mastry, Alan McHale and Lil Barcaski; keyboardist Brad Trumbull, Joel Friesinger, Nick Sperry (keys and trumpet), saxiphonist Stephen Wachtel, Jim Brady as well as the famous producer/songwriter Jim Mason, on guitar & bass. Her current project, “Ride” has been extremely well received and her upcoming project, currently in the works, is sure to be another musical success.
Wendy’s History/Bio:
Wendy Barmore (Whitaker-McClure) currently resides and has lived in the Tampa Bay area in Dunedin, FL, for over 25 years. She writes and performs regularly as solo, duo and with the Wendy Barmore Band at clubs and festivals.
She has moved around most of her life between NY/NJ/PA, SE FL, Southern CA and Boulder, CO. Wendy keeps her creativity flowing with songwriting and performing, working with many talented and well-known musicians along her travels.
In high school, Wendy worked with Michael Bonagura and Alan LeBoeuf (Bailey and the Boys) touring the Tri-State/New York area in the early ‘70s at clubs, with performances at Rutgers and Farleigh Dickinson Universities. She moved to Ft. Lauderdale in her senior year and met Lynne Cogen (now Robinson) from South Africa, a songwriter/journalist, who collaborated on many songs and other projects. Lynne and Wendy have reconnected and look forward to getting together in the future.
Wendy attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO and in her off time, performed on campus and in local coffeehouses.
After college, Wendy played solo in the Ft. Lauderdale area for a few years at The Players Club, The Wooden Spoon and John Day’s clubs, Friends, Bojangles & Coconuts amongst others.
She moved north again to NYC in the late ‘70s, where she then formed the band “Paragon” with guitarist, composer & producer, Godfrey Nelson and Lynne Cogen, who had moved to NYC, too. Wendy played solo and had band gigs at clubs in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, living on the lower East side on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village. Some of the clubs she performed at were John & Peter’s in PA, and in NYC at The Other End, Kenny’s Castaways, Folk City, Tracadero, JP’s and other local clubs. Wendy also was the opener at comedy clubs in the Tri-State area including The Comic Strip, Catch a Rising Star, The Bitter End and others. Living in the East Village on St. Mark’s Place at that time, the area was filled with diverse artists and musicians in a melting pot of genres from folk to punk rock.
In the late ‘70s/early ’80s, Wendy moved to the Los Angeles area where she played solo, duo and band gigs. She also did a tour with a Hawaiian based band, Cecilio and Kapono. When performing in Trancas Beach, CA, she met the band “Pickering and McClure”. Nigel Pickering was one of the founders of “Spanky & Our Gang” and a member of “The Folksters” in the ‘50s & ‘60s. Mark McClure was a member of “Spanky & Our Gang”, leader of “Joyous Noise” and a duo with “Levitt & McClure”. Adding Wendy, they formed the band “Stinson Reliant”. Some of the popular venues they played were The Palomino Club, The Troubadour, The Coral, The Blue Lagoon and other clubs in the area.
The band was renamed “Kashmir” and had an opportunity to record a project at Mountain Ear’s Studio in Boulder, CO. Produced by Jim Mason, singer/songwriter, and producer, who is known for projects with Peter, Paul & Mary, Firefall, Poco and many others, the “Kashmir” project at Mountain Ear’s Studio in Boulder, brought local and nationally known musicians to record with the band.
Wendy married Marc McClure and they have a son together and worked the Boulder area with the band during the mid-‘80s.
She, with her son, moved to Miami after CO, and continued to perform as a solo/duo at establishments, including Tobacco Road (at the time, the oldest bar in Miami), Tugboat Annie’s, Mr. Laff’s, and a regular duo at The Elbo Room for a few years.
Wendy’s project, “Ride”, a collaboration with guitarist, Johnny Greenwell, was released in 2009 (recorded at Tech Audio and mixed at Zen Recording). She is working on a project with producer Jim Mason, residing now Tampa Bay. She and Jim Mason are also planning to re-master the “Kashmir Project” from CO, paying tribute to their dear friend and fellow artist, Nigel Pickering, who passed away in 2011. You can always find Wendy (Whitaker-McClure) Barmore at a favorite spot in the Tampa Bay area.
Wendy B. has just released “Rescue Me”. It is a collaboration with Producer, songwriter, musician, Jim Mason & Jim Brady, musician, sound production and music mixologist. After over two years, starting at Tech Audio in Clearwater, some rhythm tracks at Zen Recording and more added tracks at Dark Matter Recording (both in St. Pete), then settled in at Clear Track Recording Studios in Clearwater. At Clear Track Recording Studios’, the team worked with many local musicians to add their specialized talents, and finally mixing the completing project at Jim Brady’s studio in Tampa! You can purchase both “Rescue Me” & “Ride” on WendyBMusic.com. There is a selection of vinyl, cd and flash drive with other merchandise on the Merchandise page.
You can also find Wendy B “Rescue Me” & “Ride projects on streaming platforms.
Wendy Barmore ▪ 727-647-8181