A seasoned band leader and founder of many successful Pacific North West bands harking back to the 1960's and an award winning drummer, singer and bandleader, Billy "Hot Pocket"* Barner a.k.a. "The Pocket"* has performed internationally, nationally and regionally. His musical career spans over six decades playing all styles of music from Rock, Blues, Motown, Soul, Funk, Afro/Cuban, Cajun,  Zydeco and New Orleans Second Line to Jazz and Country. 

          Billy won a Washington Blues Society Best of Blues Award in 2006 for Best Self Produced CD "Two Things For Sure" Blues Alliance. He has six Washington Blues Association Best of Blues Nominations including The Chris Leighton Best Blues Drummer Award Nomination 2006, Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination 2006, Best New Blues Band Blues Alliance Award Nomination, Best Self Produced Blues CD Award Nomination "Two Things For Sure" Blues Alliance 2006, Best CD Cover Award Nomination Two Things For Sure Blues Alliance 2006, and in 2002 The Atlas Cole memorial Summy Award Drummer of the Year from the Tacoma Music Foundation. (Inscription listed below).

Billy has had the privilege to play in some of the most successful and prestigious bands to emerge from the Pacific Northwest including: The Mark Whitman Band, BIG, The Crossroads Band, The Blues Orbiters, Nicole Fournier & her 3lb. Universe, Junkyard Jane, Blues Alliance, Jumbo Groove with Ron Gardner, The Sultans, The Centrix, The Toffs, 7th & Pacific, Capt. Flyswat & The Cat's Pajama Band, The Porcelain Tabernacle, The Collection, Hometown Blues Band, Peaceable Lane, Jonah's Whale, Oasis, Rapture, Johnny & the Marks, The Fabulous Cyclones, Jerry Miller & Co., Color Blue, Terry Lee Hardesty and The Eagle River Band, Tanglefoot, Loose Reins, Intruder, The Robin Barrett Band, The BBC Project, The Great Pretenders, The Billy Shew Band, In The House, The Cee Cee James Band, Roger Enders and Road To Ruin, The Tim Enders Band, Son Jack, Jr., The Tommy Wall Band, The Wicked line, John 'Scooch' Cugno and The Delta 88 Revival, The Galaxies, Blues Redemption, Richard Allen & The Louisiana Experience, The Linda Myers Band, Joe Blue & The Fabulous Roof Shakers, Jim Valley Project and  Little Bill & The Blue Notes among others.

          Consequently, Billy has had the honor to have met, performed with and/or opened for many nationally & internationally known performers including: RB Greaves, George Benson, Pablo Cruise, Spencer Davis Group, Eric Burden and the Animals, Maria Muldaur, Arthur Lee and Love, Charlie Musslewhite, Tinsley Ellis, Hubert Sumlin, TOTO, Three Dog Night, Iron Butterfly, REO Speed Wagon, Paul Revere and the Raiders, BTO, Rick Derringer, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Cascades, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Jr., among others. 

          Billy is currently performing with his own band King Kom Beaux, as well  as Little Bill & The Blue Notes, The Jim Valley Project and (on occasion) Blues Redemption & Joe Blue & The Roofshakers.

          Billy is often asked what “The Pocket” nick name means and where it came from.
          Here’s the story:
       * Billy was dubbed with the nickname Billy "Hot Pocket" Barner by the late Ron Gardner when Billy, Ron and Dudley Hill co-founded the legendary Jumbo Groove in the 1980's. 

Billy was advised to change the nickname from "Hot Pocket" to "The Pocket" on the advice of a copyright attorney who was attending one of Billy's performances. 

          In 2002 Billy received the Atlas Cole memorial Summy Award Drummer of the Year from the Tacoma Music Foundation. The inscription reads “Reliable, steady, liked by all and always in the pocket, when you say musician’s musician, you think of Bill Barner. Since then the nickname is known by all as  Billy “The’ Pocket”.

          "I invite you to visit his Gig Schedule page. Please come see me perform at my shows performing with some of the consummate top musicians in the industry ….. and please keep showing your support for Live Music.

Thank you and God Bless……Billy “The Pocket” Barner