One local musician refuses to sacrifice his passion for music – even in the face of a chronic illness. With the release of his latest album, Lyme’s Disease Warrior, Eau Claire blues artist Craig Barr is a true testament to overcoming adversity one note at a time.

In a single, ill-fated incident 25 years ago, a falling nest of ticks led Barr to contract Lyme disease and it would change his life and career forever. He was in New York City at the time, living the fact-paced urban lifestyle while attempting to balance a jam-packed schedule. In addition to music and recording, Barr kept himself busy selling insurance, developing his show on public access radio, and even instructing taekwondo. But two years after his first diagnosis in 1991, Barr was forced to leave his rigorous New York regimen in exchange for the bustling small-town music scene in a little place called Eau Claire.

“I loved my life in New York and all the work and music I built there,” Barr said.  “I went from a place where I walked business-to-business selling literally thousands of records to a rural farming community where I could buy a home for 10 grand.”

But even though Barr misses his thriving New York haven, he admits that there are definitely perks to going rural.

“The lack of stress here is wonderful,” Barr said. “And taking long beautiful bike rides is like heaven.”

Despite the lighter workload of his new life in the Midwest, the reality of Lyme disease is still a serious reality Barr has to confront on a daily basis.

“Lyme disease is very scary,” Barr said. “And if left untreated like I was for almost a year, it can end one’s life. By early 2014, I began to just pass out – I would be doing physical therapy along with exercise and then wake up on the floor.”

With Lyme’s Disease Warrior, his 15th album to date, Barr hopes he can bring awareness to the dangerous illness and expose what he sees as an enduring cynicism by doctors.

“One particular song, ‘Lyme’s Disease Mantra,’ pertains to the dilemma of skepticism towards Lyme disease,” Barr said. “The song’s repeated phrase, ‘It’s all in your head,’ is the most common thing a doctor will tell a patient they cannot cure.”

Ultimately, Barr believes the release of his album will be a way for him to encourage and offer support for those who fight a similar fight.

“There are people suffering everyday who are too poor and too tired to seek medical help,” Barr explained. “I need to use my time on this planet to make people happy with the music I create and also let people know that they are not alone.”

Recently, Barr has certainly embraced this positive outlook – latching on to life’s most basic pleasures in order to reach a place of satisfaction and happiness.

Lyme’s Disease Warrior by Craig Barr is available for purchase at cduniverse.com and cdbaby.com. The disc and tons of other Craig Barr albums are available at The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St.