Valarie Benning Barney
PRODUCER
Valarie Benning Barney is an entertainment industry veteran with over 25 years of experience. She is a graduate of Georgia State University and a member of the Producers Guild of America.
During her expansive career Ms. Benning Barney has helped develop and direct the careers of such music industry heavyweights as Guy, Lo-key?, Mint Condition, and the two-time Grammy award winning Sounds of Blackness. She served as Promoter Touring Representative for the Luther Vandross “Power Of Love Tour”. Her other tour management credits include: Ann Nesby, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and DaBrat. For Three years Ms. Benning Barney served as Promoter Touring Representative for So Def Records, managing ‘The Scream Tours 1-3”and R. Kelly.
For five years Ms. Benning Barney served as Director of Touring for GR productions, the company owned by super producers Gene Griffin and Teddy Riley. She later worked with hit makers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and their production company Flyte Tyme and Perspective records to develop and manage the touring department.
Ms. Benning Barney’s theatrical management credits include The Wiz, 42nd Street, Mama I Want To Sing, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Tellin It Like It Tiz, Black Heroes In The Hall of Fame , Lawd Have Mercy , Sang Sista Sang, Making It, and Things That Lovers Do.
During the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games she served as producer and booking agent for the Cultural Olympiad and was responsible for bringing over 75 national and international artists to perform during the 10 days of the games.
As General Manager of the National Black Arts Festival 2000, the largest festival of African-American culture in the United Sates, she was responsible for booking and negotiating the contracts for performing artists and the expansion of the festival to include the Pan-African Film Festival.
Her television and film producer credits include the first ever Gospel Pay-Per-View broadcast A Christmas Celebration starring Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Shirley Caesar and The Sounds Of Blackness, Hip-Hop Peacefeast ’97 starring Lil’ Kim, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Foxxy Brown, 2008, Eddie Griffin’s Freedom of Speech, 2009 Shaq and Cedric the Entertainer Present All Star Comedy Jam, The 2009 Soul Train Awards, 2010 Shaquille O’Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam Live From South Beach starring D.L. Hughley,2011 Shaquille O’Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam Live from Dallas Starring Mo’Nique, the independently produced feature films Shake and Living With Faith, 2012 Shaquille O’Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam Live From Orlando , the highly successful feature film Laugh at My Pain, starring Kevin Hart , Shaquille O'Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam Live From Atlanta, Executive Producer of Shaquille O'Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam Live from Las Vegas, Producer Mahalia Feel The Joy tribute Concert Show and Mahalia Feel the Joy Feature Film. Something Different Stand-Up Special starring Monique for Netflix and Don’t Take it Personal Mike Epps stand-up special also for Netflix. Valarie was one of the producers of the groundbreaking stand up feature Kevin Hart What Now?
Ms. Benning Barney’s recent Media credits include several installments of Talking Shop, Shaq's Next All Star on The Comedy Shaq Network . That’s Funny, a collection of 12 -30 minutes stand-up specials filmed in Atlanta for the Kevin Hart LOL Digital Network. Ms. Benning Barney currently serves as Supervising Producer for many of the projects on Kevin Hart’s /Lionsgate LOL Network.