Barry Bailey, guitarist of American rock bank Atlanta Rhythm Section, has passed away. He was 73 years old. Sunset Blvd. Records issued the following...

"Some sad news tonight as we report the passing of one of our own, Barry Bailey, guitarist of the iconic rock bank Atlanta Rhythm Section. The storied musician was 73 years old at the time of his passing.

The Decatur native passed away in his sleep Saturday night after years of struggling with multiple sclerosis. Over the years, the band has shared a stage with the likes of rock legends Bob Seger, Foreigner, Heart and Aerosmith. One of the band's most memorable performances was on the White House lawn in 1977, when they played for the birthday of President Jimmy Carter's son.

Originally the house band at Studio One recording studio in Doraville, GA, Atlanta Rhythm Section officially became a band in 1970. Their debut album, a self-titled effort, would arrive in 1972 - the first of 13 studio LPs that would be released across their five-decade career.  Their greatest hits included 'Champagne Jam', 'So Into You', 'Doraville', 'Spooky' and 'Imaginary Lover'. Initially, tagged as a southern-rock band, ARS defied that moniker and placed hits on numerous Billboard charts from rock to adult contemporary.  Their music is still played today throughout the world and has found a new legion of fans via the digital streaming.

Barry started his career in the early 1960s. He played with The Imperials, The Vons and Wayne Loguidice and the Kommotions and then in 1970 along with his mate bassist Paul Goddard he became a member of the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

In the early ’70s, an architecture student named Jeff Carlisi was in the audience at Funochio’s, a renowned venue on Peachtree Street, when Bailey sat in with Lynyrd Skynyrd around the time that band was at Studio One recording songs for its 1973 debut album. Like Skynyrd, Carlisi was from Jacksonville, Florida, and played in bands there before moving to attend Georgia Tech. "Barry walked in one night when Skynyrd was playing,” Carlisi said. “I already knew about Atlanta bands like Eric Quincy Tate and the Hampton Grease Band, as well as local guys like Barry, but this was the first time I’d heard him play. It was just a one-four-five blues jam, but Barry blew the roof off the place.”  Carlisi earned a degree but opted for a career in rock and roll as co-founder of 38 Special.

Barry returned to Decatur in 2009 where he was presented with a key to the city and 19th June 2009 was declared “Barry Bailey Day”."

This was posted on the group's website: “Unsung. You heard that quite a bit when folks would discuss Barry Bailey’s guitar taking part in. That meant that not sufficient folks had been conscious of his work,” the message learn partially. “UNSUNG my ass… ..when you heard him, you sang his praises. Barry, you might have been unsung.. …however you made others sing. Talking for the entire unique, former, and present members of ARS… Thanks for setting the bar so excessive.”