Barney Powell: Facts About Robert Powell’s Son

Barney Powell is the son of Robert Powell. Barney’s father is a British actor, known for the title roles in Mahler (1974) and Jesus of Nazareth (1977). His distinctive voice has become well known as a narrator of documentaries, especially in World War II documentaries including World War II in HD Colour, Hitler’s Bodyguard, The Story of the Third Reich, and Secrets of World War II.

Barney Powell: Bio Summary

How Old Is Robert Powell’s Son, Barney?

Barney Powell was welcomed into the world on 23 November 1977 which means, Barney will be celebrating his 46th birthday in 2023 on the 23rd of November. He is Robert Powell and his beloved companion, Barbara “Babs” Powell‘s son. His parents have been married since August 29, 1975. It’s been almost 50 years since they got married.

Barney Powell has only one sibling. His sister Kate Powell was born in 1979. Kate has lived a private life away from publicity. Barney is the grandson of Kathleen (née Davis) and John Wilson Powell. He is assumed to be the Engineering Manager at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty but there isn’t a 100% assurance of that. He is believed to be a family man.

Who Are Barney Powell’s Parents?

Barney Powell is the son of Robert Powell and Babs Powell. While Robert is an actor, his wife Barbara or Babs was a Pan’s People dancer. Babs is a former dancer, charity fundraiser, and also an actress. She is known for Gonks Go Beat (1964), The John Denver Show (1973), and The Nutcracker (1958). Robert and Babs took up sailing as a pastime. Babs participated in the BT Global Yacht Challenge and the Polar race.

Also Read: Kate Powell: Everything About Robert Powell’s Daughter

Robert Powell and Babs Powell took part, in different yachts, in a round-the-world race in 2000, though Robert himself was present for only one leg of the race. Babs decided to sail despite never having sailed before. She is said to have raised £50,000 for charity. Babs said: “I’ve always loved the sea and the idea of circumnavigating the globe at my age proves that there is life after 50. You don’t have to sit back and wait for grandchildren when you hit middle-age. While there’s still enthusiasm and physical strength, you should go for whatever you want to.”

According to Babs Powell, her husband Robert “thought I was nuts when I told him I wanted to sail around the world. At first he was disapproving because of the danger involved – people have died on this journey. He was also concerned about the ten months we’d have to spend apart. I’ve been assured that my time will pass quickly. It will be harder for him and the children.”

Babs said, “When Robert realised I was serious, he was fully supportive. I suppose he hoped that a middle-aged housewife with no sailing skills would be the last person that Chay Blyth, who runs the Challenge, would take on board. But after a rigorous interview I was chosen as part of a crew of 17 amateurs, skippered by experienced sailor Will Carnegie. Our 72ft long, steel-hulled yacht, the Veritas, is one of 12 vessels in the race.”

However, Robert has played major screen roles in films. Besides films, he also appeared in multiple television shows. In 1993–95, he was the voice actor of Dr. Livesey in The Legends of Treasure Island. He can be heard in voice-overs and as a narrator of television programs such as Great Crimes and Trials, The Century of Warfare, and World War II in HD Colour.

Robert Powell read the novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez for BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime. He has served as a narrator of different audiobooks including The Thirty Nine Steps, abridged versions of many of Alan Garner’s books, and several abridged novels for The Talking Classics Collection.

Also Read: Babs Powell: Who Is Robert Powell’s Wife?

Robert Powell has also lent his voice to musical works, such as David Bedford’s album The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, or the 2002 rock opera The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, where he played the role of John Watson. He narrated two rock albums by Rick Wakeman called Cost of Living and The Gospels (1987).

A state-of-the-art theatre named after him was opened at the University of Salford, on 29 October 2001. He became a patron of the 24:7 Theatre Festival in 2004 and continues to operate in this capacity. Robert is a patron of Lifelites, a charity that supports life-limited and disabled children using every children’s hospice service across the British Isles by donating packages of life-changing technology.

Robert Powell said: “I appreciate being asked to be a patron of Lifelites. I am lucky to have two grandchildren, boys of four years and a new-born. Just as we play and communicate in every possible way, so I would like to help life-limited and disabled children have the same opportunity, especially in this time of crisis when many are very limited as to what they can do.”

According to charity today, “Lifelites has donated a wide variety of assistive technology for life-limited and disabled children using every children’s hospice service across the British Isles for over 20 years. They also provide free technical support and training to help the hospice staff get the most out of the technology for the children they care for.”