Clifton Barnes of CB3Media has won a top national award for a campaign to honor Kay Kyser.

Barnes' efforts to bring a Kyser historic marker to Rocky Mount, N.C. and celebrate the comedic bandleader's life earned him the Grand Award from the DC area-based Communications Concepts through its 2019 Awards for Publication Excellence competition.

Barnes, a UNC-Chapel Hill journalism and political science grad who is originally from Rocky Mount, saw a need to honor Kyser, who was one of the most famous people in the world in the 1930s and 1940s but who had been virtually forgotten, even in his home area.

Barnes was able to secure a permanent state historical marker in Rocky Mount at the site of his family home. In addition, he  put together a dedication ceremony at the church and helped coordinate a celebration at the Imperial Centre.

The celebration and dedication was held on Oct. 5, 2018, at which time  Rocky Mount mayor David Combs proclaimed it Kay Kyser Day in Rocky Mount and presented plaques to Kyser's daughters.

A panel of judges said Barnes' program was "a fascinating, well-constructed campaign about the life and times of Kay Kyser." They said the effort was "filled with unique and interesting facts about a man who, one could think by his accomplishments, would be much more revered and remembered."

They added that Barnes "left no stone unturned in this wonderful tribute. BRAVO!"

Kyser's weekly radio program had a larger audience that the Super Bowl does each year. He was featured in seven motion pictures and his band had 74 top 20 hits including 11 that went to No. 1. He also has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“I thought it was important to remember Kyser locally," Barnes said. "He was very proud of his roots and always promoted Rocky Mount and North Carolina at every turn. He deserves to be remembered as the great man that he was. I am honored just to be somehow associated with him."

While this is the top honor he has received, Barnes has now won an award in the  Awards for Publication Excellence national competition  10 years in a row. Four of the awards were  for his website CapitalSportsNC.com. That site features articles from all the top media outlets and sports teams in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area along with his own original sports commentary. 

Barnes served as director of communications for the N.C. Bar Association for 15 years and, before that, was a newspaper writer and editor.

Today he is a freelance writer, editor and Web developer who owns several websites, including one that chronicles each UNC basketball game.

Always looking to the past to make the present and future better, Barnes is also credited with the idea for the Town of Cary's Hometown Spirit Award, given each year since 2009 to honor those who promote small town Southern values.

Along with his wife Andrea, he raises their 13-year-old son Will Griffin in Cary. Barnes is the son of W.C. and Lorraine Barnes, formerly of Rocky Mount, who live in Atlantic Beach.

Oct. 2019


Clifton Barnes with Kay Kyser's daughters Kimberly (left) and Amanda.