Perspectives
September 24, 2024

From Sinatra Swagger to Infrastructure Fever: How Chris Barron and His Resonant Bass Bridged Entertainment and Engineering

Jay Moye

Everybody’s caught the “Fever”.

From Peggy Lee, Elvis Presley and James Brown, to Billie Eilish and Beyoncé, the list of stars who’ve covered the R&B hit first released in 1956 by Little Willie John reads like a who’s-who of rock and pop royalty.

Right there with them is Chris Barron, whose deep, resonant voice brought Rat Pack charm and swagger to the world of infrastructure during his tenure with Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company. He masterfully bridged two vastly different realms: the world of entertainment and the world that builds the roads, railways, water networks, power grids, and other systems we rely on every day but often take for granted.

“Aqueduct for irrigation/airports to land a flight/skyscrapers and transportation/you know I fell in love at the first sight… of Infrastructure,” croons Barron in his creative cover of the evergreen he dubbed “Infrastructure Fever.”

The song added surprise and sparkle to the 2009 edition of what is now called the Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards, which is an annual gathering hosted by Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company. Known as YII for short, the “Oscars of the Infrastructure Sector” celebrates the work of Bentley software users. Every year, an independent jury selects projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in infrastructure and help improve the quality of life for local communities around the world. This year, YII takes place October 8-9 in Vancouver, Canada.

A star is born

Chris Barron presents during Bentley's Year in Infrastructure Conference.

Barron joined Bentley in 2008 as vice president of corporate marketing and spent 13 years at the company, with his last six as chief communications officer. He used his creativity and vocal range to bring a fun, fresh twist to corporate events typically filled with technical jargon and dry presentations. “Awards ceremonies can be pretty deadly, so we wanted to lighten things up and have fun,” he laughs.

The 2009 YII, held that year in Charlotte, North Carolina, was Barron’s first as an emcee. He and his team reimagined the program as a spirited showcase of innovation and engineering where users would present their work to a room filled with invited reporters. “We had the idea to bring in media and basically fill their editorial calendars with potential stories about how engineers are using Bentley tools, which is far more effective than us talking about ourselves,” he says.

But Barron also decided to turn on the heat and make the event even more memorable. Without telling anyone, including then-CEO Greg Bentley and founder and CTO Keith Bentley, he wrote “Infrastructure Fever” to the tune of “Fever” and created an accompanying animation.

His performance was a hit. “It was totally unexpected,” Barron recalled. “When I looked down and saw Greg and Keith stomping their feet and clapping along, I remember thinking, ‘Alright, I’m home free.’”

The show must go on

Barron’s performances became a highly anticipated highlight of the annual summit, which travels around the world to cities like Amsterdam, London, and Singapore. They helped expand YII into a more general conference format anchored by thought leadership presentations, technology demonstrations, breakout sessions and, of course, a black-tie awards dinner. “I’d pick tunes from the Great American Songbook that would be familiar to the audience, and change the words,” he said. “I asked Greg if he wanted to see the performances in advance, and he said, ‘No, surprise me.’ I guess he trusted I wouldn’t do anything embarrassing.”

(Barron also did “sillier, less relevant” songs for Bentley’s annual sales awards retreat, including an audience-favorite take on “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” made famous by Harry Belafonte, “that name-checked the company’s executive team.”)

All about that bass

Barron, who earned a master’s in architecture from Harvard, credits his former boss with giving him free reign to execute his branding and marketing vision. “When I interviewed with Greg, I shared a music video I’d created to showcase what my creativity might bring to the Bentley organization,” he said. “And I guess it worked.”

The pair even teamed up for a musical collaboration in 2021, just ahead of Barron’s retirement. It was Bentley’s idea. “Greg sings at church and reads music, so I knew he could do it,” Barron said. “The challenge was finding a duet with a bass and a tenor. Greg’s a tenor, I’m the bass.”

They landed on The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” and had a little extra fun by recreating the group’s black-and-white TV performance from 1964, for the video, which was screened recently at Bentley’s retirement party.

Although they’ve never performed the song live, Bentley hadn’t forgotten it, and at his request, the video premiered at his retirement party in September 2024.

Band of brothers

Music has been an integral part of Barron’s life. Growing up in New Jersey, his older brother introduced him to The Kingston Trio, Hootenanny, and other standouts from the folk movement. “At gatherings, he’d play the guitar and the whole family would sing along,” Barron said. “He’s ten years older than me, so the only way I could stand out was to sing harmony.”

In high school, Barron further honed his chops in the choir and musical theater productions, and, at Middlebury College, joined an acapella group called The Dissipated Eight. “Jazz singing has been a lifelong love,” he said, crediting Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chet Baker as his primary influences.

Come fly with me

Barron discovered karaoke during frequent Bentley business trips to Asia. “I could sing in the same key as Sinatra, and I could do a really good Elvis impression,” he said. “The iTunes store had karaoke versions when it launched, so suddenly I could sing jazz standards with the Nelson Riddle (Big Band) arrangements on my iPod. That freed me up to sing anywhere. I don’t play an instrument, so that was pivotal.”

He continues to sing and occasionally posts recordings on his YouTube channel. “I perform at nonprofit benefits as a way of giving back,” Barron said. “We’re in the process of building a house in Maine and, once we get settled, plan to host events for retirement communities and other community organizations, to bring a little joy to others and myself.

“And if Bentley were to ask me to return for an encore, I’d jump at the chance to do it.”