LAS VEGAS—Michael "Mr. Magic" Barney, founder of Atlanta's Magic City club, was inducted into Exotic Dancer Magazine's Hall of Fame on August 24. The induction took place during the ED Honors Award Show at the Exotic Dancer Expo in Las Vegas.
The ED Awards Show, established in 1998, is the only national awards show for the billion-dollar adult nightclub industry.
More than just a club owner, Barney is a pioneer who helped shape modern hip-hop, elevate adult entertainment, and transform a modest Southern venue into a global cultural landmark.
“While there are many luminaries in our industry, few have ascended to the heights of Mr. Magic,” said Kristofer Kay, Managing Editor of Exotic Dancer Magazine. “Because of his influence on Southern hip-hop, the words ‘Magic City’ resonate far beyond Atlanta; they’ve become embedded in the American zeitgeist.”
When Magic City opened its doors in 1985, it was more than a business; it was the birth of a movement. Under Barney’s leadership, Magic City became more than a venue; it became a brand. Name-dropped in over 100 songs, profiled in major publications, and now the subject of a new documentary on STARZ, Magic City stands as a musical landmark alongside institutions like Stax Records in Memphis and Muscle Shoals' Sound Studio.
“Michael Barney didn’t just build a club,” Kay shared. “He built a legacy. He saw value where others saw vice, and gave Atlanta, and the world, a place where the lights shine a little brighter, and where money is literally made to rain.”
