TANESSA BARNES

Mother, Singer, & Survivor

Born and raised in Laurinburg, N.C.,

upcoming gospel artist/songwriter
Tanessa Barnes has been singing in the
church since the age of eight-years-old.
Tanessa was born on November 29, 1975
to the proud parents of James Lewis
Barnes and the late Mable Lee Hayes.

The Infinite Field Magazine May 2010

 TANESSA BARNES
Mother, Singer, & Survivor

Tanessa has always been inspired by her family to sing the gospel. Watching and observing aunts, uncles and
cousins ministering the word through song each Sunday as a child sparked an interest in her. Coming from a
family of singers and musicians, she was always either in church singing or at a gospel function listening to
local quartet artist and choirs from the surrounding areas.

Tragically, in 1989 at the age of 13, Tanessa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A few months later, after
receiving her last chemotherapy treatment, her mother died in an automobile accident which took place one
day after her 14th birthday on November 30, 1989. This was the lowest point in her life, but God had already
delivered her from molestation from ages 10 to 13, cancer and now the death of her mother. It was at this
point in her life when she began to realize that she was predestined before birth to do God's will and that she
has a purpose in life. To overcome all of these tragedies and live to tell about it was truly a blessing from
God.

In 1995, Tanessa began singing with a quartet group, "The New Beginning," whose main focus was
ministering to inmates who have lost hope in life. She has traveled with the group to a number of prisons
like Rahway, N.J.; Trenton, N.J.; Dallas, Pa. and many more. She sang with "The New Beginning" for 12
years. She has also participated in a number of gospel talent searches from Atlanta, Ga.; Cleveland, Ohio.;
Harvey, Ill. as well as High Point, N.C. where she currently resides. She has also sang with a group,
"Psalmic Flow," for a little over a year. She has always sang as a soloist at different church functions such as
weddings, anniversaries and funerals. Tanessa is also a songwriter and will be working on her own project in
the near future.

Last but not least, Tanessa has two beautiful children, Jaquan and Keanu Barnes. Considering the apple
doesn't fall far from the tree, her son Jaquan has had a passion to play the drums ever since he was two years
of age. After destroying all the toy drum sets his mother bought, she finally bought him a real set of drums
two years ago. Needless to say, it has been all the way live in the Barnes household ever since. Jaquan will
be 13-years-old this December. His sister, on the other hand, has been singing like her mother since she was
about three-years-old. Soon to be 11, she loves to mimic her mother around the house and harmonize with
her. At an early age, Keanu has been able to listen to voices and fill in the missing voice to get a better blend
of harmony. She has even sang with her mother at several churches not only singing in the background but
leading as well. Singing songs such as "His Eye Is On A Sparrow," one radio announcer, while in tears, gave
her some encouraging words saying, "Continue to let God use you baby for the up building of his kingdom."

TheInfiniteFieldMagazine.com
Realizing that her children look up to her, Tanessa tries to set a good example for them to follow. What better
way than to keep them busy in the house of the Lord, since giving her life to Christ, Tanessa's main focus is
to stay humble before the Lord and always making herself available to him so that he may be able to use her
as a willing vessel. She takes her ministry seriously. Not knowing what a person has been through or what
they may be going through, she's constantly praying that God will cleanse her heart, mind and soul before
ministering to his people. Someone may need spiritual healing from childhood hurt or someone may even be
contemplating suicide. So it's very important to her for God to cleanse her heart of anything that is not like
him. People's lives are depending on whether you take your ministry serious or not. Tanessa's daily prayer is
to operate in the spirit so that the gift may flow and to glorify his name. Always remember people of God,
not to ever let the world or what goes on in your life extinguish your fire for God.

Q&A
Milton: Who is Tanessa Barnes?

Tanessa: I am an inspiring gospel artist and mother. I started singing around seven or eight-years-old. Like a
lot of singers, I was brought up in the church. Music was instilled in me at an early age. I grew up watching
my aunts and uncles performing. I had a lot of family and church members to look up to as role models.

Milton: What type of music do you sing?

Tanessa: Mostly gospel. I am working on a solo project that will be mainly comprised of contemporary
gospel.

Milton: Who are some of your main influences?

Tanessa: Besides my family, I have been inspired by a lot of gospel quartet groups. Some of my favorites
are Lee Williams, The Canto Spirituals and Doc McKenzie. There was a group from Durham, NC call the
Christian Angels who really inspired me. Some of the contemporary artist that I like are J Moss, Fred
Hammond, Mary Mary and Deitrick Haddon.

Milton: Your mom passed while you were young; how did that effect your life, and did it inspire you to do
something that you didn’t know was in you?

Tanessa: I will say that it did inspire me. My mother passed the day after my 14 birthday. At the time, I was
going through ovarian cancer. I must say it did affect me. I tried not to look at things in a negative way. I
tried to look at all things in a positive way. I looked at it as something that I had to got through to strengthen
me. It pushed me into a spiritual direction. I became more involved with the church. I was raised by my aunt
and uncle..

Milton: In your song you say: “He’ll take care of you like he took care of me.” What does that mean?

The Infinite Field Magazine May 2010

Tanessa: Oh man..He took care of me...a lot of
older people can't say that they have been through
what I have been through. He keep me in the right
frame of mind. I wasn’t perfect put. He took care of
me through all of the hard times and keep me on a
straight path. I could have not done it on my own. I
would have lost my mind. He touched me with a
finger of love..healed me when I had ovarian
cancer. It was by the grace of God they caught it in
time before it spread. They had to remove my
ovaries and a tumor and lymph nodes from my
neck. I had a catheter in my chest and into my
heart. He brought me through all of that with a sane
mind. He took care of me and will do that for
anyone else.
Milton: Is it safe to say that God is your source?
Tanessa: Most Definitely!!!
Milton: When did you decide in your musical
journey that this was more than just a hobby and
something that you wanted to pursue?
TheInfiniteFieldMagazine.com
Tanessa: Well, when I was younger, I used to try
songs out. It was never coming together like I
wanted it to. I would sit it down and come back to
it later. I was around 21 when I began to get
serious. I started singing with a quartet group
comprised of my family. I was pretty much just
helping them by singing soprano. After that, I
began singing with them. I soon realized that I
loved to do this, and it was a passion. I started
traveling with them to various places. I just enjoyed
the ministry through song and allowing God to use
me as a vessel to minister to those who were lost
and in need. It felt good that God allowed me to be
used to help others. It's been 13 years since I really
became serious about it.
Milton: You say in your bio, “it is your daily
prayer to operate in the spirit, so that the gift can
glow an glorify His name”.
Tanessa: A lot of people get the big head about the
gift they have. When they minister, they are not in
the spirit. They are more into themselves. As long
as you operate in self, it may sound good, but is it
blessing or ministering to anyone? As long as you
are in self, God is not receiving any glory..it is only
you..you are really caught up in yourself...it needs
to always remain about god. Always humble
yourself, and allow God to use you as a vessel.
Milton: You take the approach that there is a
message and purpose in my music.
Tanessa: Right!
Milton: You say its about the message. The
message provides healing and love which comes
from God.
Tanessa: Right!
Milton: What advice would you give to up-and-
coming singers?
Tanessa: Always keep God first. For a lot of people...they think they can do things on their own. I won’t
attempt to do anything for God without Him. I won't prosper without Him. Keep God First . Always stay
spiritually grounded in the word. It can be a spiritual warfare. You have to have spiritual knowledge and
revelation of the Lord. Have that knowledge to stay spiritually grounded. Have a strong passion and desire
for what you do. If your passion is not for real, it is not going to happen. I have a strong passion and desire
to do what I do. I have given up a lot to go after my dream and traveled long distances and put in a lot of
hours. The passion takes you down that highway.

Milton: What are you career plans in music?

Tanessa: I would love to do an album. I would love to do some recordings to get my music out there to
share what God has blessed me with...to be known around the nation.

Milton: Tell me a little about your children.

Tanessa: Jaquan, my son, is the oldest, and he has a strong passion for playing the drums. He has had a
passion for playing the drums every since he was little. He would take pencils and started beating on cups,
glasses and what ever he could. I really believe he liked hearing the different pitches. My cousin had a music
store an gave him a little set of drums, and he wore them out. It wasn't long before I had to buy him a real
set. Now he plays for the church. He loves playing and practicing. He listens to the beat of songs and learns
from there...he has a passion for that..

My daughter (Keanu) loves to sing. She has performed with me at

events. She harmonizes very well and has a really good ear at 10-
years-old .

Milton: I bet she learned that from you.

Tanessa: Yes!

Milton: You really taught her well.

Tanessa: It is so funny to hear her around the house singing some of the riffs and parts that I have taught
her..she really listens and studies...she always likes for me to sing, and then she begins to sing the same
thing..

Milton: Tell me..what are one or two things that you would want the world to know about you?

Tanessa: I would want the world to know that I am a God-fearing woman and that I love God with all my
heart. He is first, and He is my help and strength. With Him, I can do anything.

Listen to Tanessa
http://drop.io/stvh8jw/asset/tbarnes-m4a?ref=yahoo
The Infinite Field Magazine May 2010