By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
LAHAINA, Maui — A Lahaina entertainer on his way to a job in Kihei died after his car sideswiped another vehicle on Honoapi‘ilani Highway about two miles south of Olowalu Village Road.
Along with his music career, John C. Barbier, 48, was well-known in the west side community for running the Old Lahaina House bed-and-breakfast inn with his wife, Sherry. The Barbiers were at the heart of a debate five years ago on whether to legalize bed-and-breakfast operations on Maui.
Maui police said the fatal collision took place about 8 Wednesday night when Barbier’s white Ford Taurus station wagon, traveling south on the two-lane highway, tried to overtake a car and sideswiped a white Nissan Path-
finder traveling in the opposite direction. The Pathfinder flipped over and landed on its roof on the east shoulder of the highway. Its two occupants, a 47-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman, both from California, suffered minor injuries. Barbier was dead at the scene.
Police said he was not wearing a seatbelt, while the two in the Pathfinder were. Airbags in both cars deployed.
Barbier was born in Indiana. He moved with his family from Chicago to Lahaina in the late ’80s and started a parasail business, said family friend Ginny Parsons of Makawao. The couple sold the company and opened the Old Lahaina House.
A complaint was filed against the establishment in 1995 because of its alleged effect on the neighborhood, and the county told the Barbiers to seek a conditional use permit. The process eventually led to the formulation of a licensing system for the many bed-and-breakfasts that had been operating illegally on Maui.
The Barbiers have three children, John James, 18, Tiana, 12, and Bryce, 3.
Funeral plans have not been announced.
Parsons said Barbier, a striking figure at about 6 feet 5, enjoyed gardening and tinkering with boats and cars. "He was an all-around good guy," she said. He loved music. Parsons described him as "a very talented guy who really enjoyed playing to the audience."
Mel Akamine, general manager of the Lahaina Inn, worked at both the Kapalua Bay Hotel and the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina when Barbier was a lounge entertainer at both places. Barbier also played at banquets, weddings and other events.
Akamine called Barbier a talented pianist and singer who played a wide range of music, including "oldies but goodies."
"He was upbeat, real positive. He never had anything bad to say about anybody. He had a smile for everybody," he said.
Parsons noted that the stretch of road where the fatal collision happened is a dangerous one that has been the site of other deaths. Many occurred during passing maneuvers. The heavily traveled, two-lane state highway is the main link between Lahaina and Central and South Maui.
She advocated a barrier separating the opposing lanes.
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