Sir Guy was born Clarence Eugene Barron, on October 16, 1946 in a musical family in Norfolk, Virginia to Thelma Barron Cartwright and James Norfleet, Sr; reared by mother and stepfather, William โBro. Bearโ Cartwright in the segregated section of the city called Berkley-Campostella. He had four brothers, Leonard Barron, Harold Barron, James Norfleet, Jr, and Charles Cartwright; eight sisters, Thelma Barron, Bernice Barron, Brenda Barron, Gracie Cartwright, Joyce Cartwright, Patricia Cartwright, Louise Norfleet, Lillian Norfleet McCleese.
Sir Guyโs early education began in 1952 at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, where he played trumpet and was a member of the band under the tutelage of Carl W. Clark. He also sang in the Gospel Choir at Saint Markโs Baptist Church.
At 14, in 1960, Sir Guy was invited as a lead tenor of the local a capella doo-wop ensemble called The Visions (Earl Gordon, Robert White, Michael Smith, Harold Barron, Clayton Miller, Rizwell Finney) that embraced and promoted the Norfolk Sound. He remained with the group that only performed R & B covers principally for four years and left in 1964.
However, in 1965, encouraged by George Perkins, owner of a popular Liberty Street nightclub, to sing as a soloist. Sir Guy first signed on Frank Guidaโs S.P.Q.R. label. In 1967 he released the singles โBroke Down and Criedโ and โThe Frogโ on the label. After leaving Guida in 1967, the songs were re-worked as โThe Frisky Frogโ and โI Criedโ for Perkins and Lenis Guessโ D.P.G. imprint.
In 1969, Sir Guy & The Rocking Cavaliers released two singles, โMy Sweet Babyโ and โFunky Virginiaโ which were joint compositions by Sir Guy and Perkins on the D.P.G. label The latter song was a regional hit.
The single โLet Home Cross Your Mindโ was released in 1972, and within a few months, Sir Guy created a revised version with a new title, โI Need You, Baby.โ Both compositions were regional hits.
Sir Guy married Beatrice Williams Barron from Aiken, South Carolina in 1974. They parented two sons, Clarence Jr and Stacey.
Clarence Eugene โSir Guyโ Barron, whose performances at Norfolkโs Eureka Lodge, The Plaza Hotel, and Queenโs Topside Lounge on Church Street was a weekend treat, died on June 15, 2010, at his home of cancer in Aiken, South Carolina. He was 64. After his death, the singles โ โI Need You Babyโ and โLet Home Cross Your Mindโ were released again in 2011 with backup by the Speller Bros. Band. Those songs along with rereleases (2015) of Sir Guyโs โMy Sweet Babyโ and โFunky Virginiaโ continued the Norfolk Sound.
