Kenny Barnwell grew up on a dirt road in Villa Rica, Georgia. His parents were deaf. He was the fifth of five children, and at age 14, when his parents split up, he turned to drugs. It wasn't long before he ended up homeless with just a guitar on his back that had belonged to his brother.
About two years later, with no prospects but a great work ethic, he was helping out a small businessman who ran a power washing company. One day, he took Kenny to the bookstore and offered to pay him $20 to read a book — Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson. Kenny really liked it. The next week, the boss came back and told him if he read another book, he would pay Kenny $25. Kenny said sure, and he was given Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Kenny became hooked on entrepreneurialism and personal development.
Kenny eventually moved to Jacksonville where he discovered that he had a knack for marketing and event planning. He parlayed that into earning a gig as a stagehand — someone who helps set up and break down public events like concerts, trade shows, and the like. Deciding to return home to Georgia, he got a job in his hometown for another production company.
As a musician, he was soon working in the backline, inventorying and preparing musical instruments for bands. It wasn't long after that, Kenny got a gig with a touring band. That launched his career going on the road with famous musical acts.
For more than 20 years, Kenny worked with some of the biggest acts in show business — musicians like Seal, Collective Soul, Sarah Bareilles, Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt, Chris Isaak, and many more.
Kenny's last night touring was during the Jonas Brothers' world tour. Sweet gig, right?
Well, he will tell you about that on this week's episode of Chiseled in which he shares the most harrowing, terrifying, and exciting story about going for a run in Monterrey, Mexico, and finding himself being chased around a desert mountain for 12 hours by six drug cartel henchmen.
I don't even want to tell you any more than that because Kenny's story is jaw-dropping. His survival, as he will say, can only be described as a miracle.
Kenny, who had already written a book in 2014 about life on the road, is now a speaker, coach, and educator for people wanting to break into music production. But this life-altering experience, which sounds like a script straight out of Hollywood, will shock you to the core.
Get your popcorn ready and enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled.
