- Born
- Died
- Birth nameErnest Eugene Barnes Jr.
- Height6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
- Ernie Barnes was born in Durham, North Carolina, USA. He is known for his art on Good Times (1974), specifically "The Sugar Shack," the iconic dance painting which sold for over $15 million in 2022. Barnes' work is in museums, institutions and collected internationally. He is the first American professional athlete to become a noted painter.
- IMDb mini biography by: Estate of Ernie Barnes
- SpousesBernadine Gradney(December 1984 - April 27, 2009) (his death)Janet Thaleen Norton(December 23, 1965 - January 17, 1983) (divorced, 3 children)Andrea Burnett(July 1957 - December 1965) (divorced, 2 children)
- Was paid his final football season by New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin "to just paint." A year later, Barnes debuted his art in a solo exhibition at a prestigious Manhattan gallery. The show sold out and he subsequently retired from football.
- Played offensive guard for the New York Titans (1960), San Diego Chargers (1961-1962), and Denver Broncos (1963-1964).
- Appears on two early episodes of "Good Times".
- His final public exhibition was in 2007 when the NFL and Time Warner sponsored a tribute to him in New York City. It was hosted by his former teammate, the Hon. Jack Kemp, Susan L. Taylor, Brig Owens and Donna Brazile.
- His 1996 autobiography "From Pads to Palette" chronicles his childhood in the segregated South, his college and professional football experience to his first exhibition.
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