Katreese Barnes was in a Chicago hair salon last week with her head under the dryer when she felt the beat of a song from the radio. She lifted the dryer hood a bit and realized it was her beat, her voice, her song: the 1980s hit, “Sugar Free,” which she and her brother performed as part of the short-lived R&B group Juicy.
“It was just so unexpected,” said Barnes, laughing.
She’s come a long way since her “Sugar Free” days. Before this summer, when she became the bandleader, musical director and composer on “The Rosie Show,” she spent a decade with “Saturday Night Live,” where she won two Emmy awards.
The first was for writing the music to the hugely popular and hilarious R&B spoof “D— in a Box,” which singer Justin Timberlake and “SNL” cast member Andy Samberg performed together.
A trained classical pianist, Barnes learned as a teenager that her real loves were jazz and R&B. She was chasing a career as a solo singer when a record deal fell through, leaving her devastated. How she bounced back was one of the things that attracted me to her story.
I caught up with Barnes last week as the staff of “The Rosie Show,” which is based here and airs Monday through Friday on OWN at 6 p.m. (CST), was about to go on Christmas hiatus:
So, in 2000, you didn’t get on with a record label, but you landed the full-time gig at “Saturday Night Live.” Not a bad Plan B, especially since you were working with cast members like Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan.
Everyone in this business who’s a singer, you think the way to exist is to be a star and to have a record out and be like Lady Gaga. I had a record deal on the table, and it fell through. I remember being depressed for five days and not leaving my house and staying in bed. I thought my career was over. I had been subbing on “Saturday Night Live,” but that was always a sideline until I could get a record deal. But then I was hired full time, and I can guarantee you I’ve made more money than most people who’ve gotten record deals. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of artists, and I’ve had such a rich experience.
That same year, 2000, you were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Diseases are sobering for the spirit. They bring you back home to your true self. I started realizing that I kind of liked not having to travel and tour. I could stay there in New York and work with great musicians while I was doing my treatments. That took two years to get through.
And you’re healthy now? That was a really big year for you.
Yes. I never do anything small. The universe is like: “She needs big lessons. Not little ones. Really big.”
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Let’s go back to the beginning. You grew up in rural North Carolina and studied classical music.
I was studying to be a classical pianist at 14 and 15. I then started playing in an R&B band, and I enjoyed that music more. I knew I could dedicate more of my time honestly to R&B and jazz. Classical music started feeling like a burden. I thought: “OK, I have to learn this Beethoven sonata in E major.” It became pure drudgery.
But in the end classical music helped me. I’m a big believer that sometimes you have to learn things you don’t necessary like because it makes you better. I know musicians who don’t read music, but I tell them it’s a good skill to have, and so necessary.
You wound up writing songs for Chaka Khan and Roberta Flack, and you even sang backup once for Tom Jones.
Yes. And, I was in Sting’s band for two years. I sang backup and played the saxophone. All along, I was thinking of myself one day having a solo career. I felt if I could meet the right people, it would happen. I tried different managers. There are things that get stuck in your head and if it doesn’t happen, you get out of sorts.
Let’s talk about “D— in a Box.” Are you tired of talking about that song?
No. I will forever be proud of “D— in a Box.” You can talk to anyone, from a 12-year-old to a 70-year-old, and everyone knows that song. I feel I contributed to pop culture.
How did the idea come together?
It started on a Tuesday night, which is writing night at “Saturday Night Live.” I went to work around 11 p.m. They wanted to do a track that was spoofing a 1990s R&B band. I started putting the track together at 4 a.m. and it was Justin (Timberlake) and The Lonely Island guys who wrote the lyrics. That Thursday night, when I heard the vocals, I told them that if the video matched the lyrics and the vocal performance, it was going to be a big hit. When I saw it, I knew it would be.
Do you miss “Saturday Night Live”?
No, I don’t. I reflect fondly on the talent of the SNL writers, and there are a lot of brilliant people there. I would not be 80 percent of the person I am without that experience. I think that show groomed me in so many ways. But there’s always a time when you say, “That’s done.” I’m an Army brat, and I think that helps me move on. The exciting part of this new job is that I have an opportunity to shape the music for the show, rather than coming in on a show that’s already established.
What’s next for you?
There’s a musical comedy I wrote called “Rocketman” that’s based on Elton John’s songs. It’s a theater production of popular music, but done in a funky way. We’ll be restaging it and bringing it to Chicago early next year.
One last thing: You live in the River West neighborhood. How do you like Chicago?
I love Chicago, and the reason I love Chicago is that my quality of life is so much better here. I don’t hate New York. It’s almost like being married to an insensitive person and you get used to it and all of a sudden you marry someone who’s loving and you didn’t know you could have a relationship like this.