Nathan Barksdale
Encyclopedia
Nathan Barksdale is a former drug dealer in Baltimore
, Maryland
. He is a Baltimore drug dealer dramatized in the HBO series The Wire
, but the extent to which any of the show’s characters or plot lines are based on his life is disputed. His life is the subject of the unreleased docudrama
Baltimore Chronicles: Legends of the Unwired, which purports to be the true story behind The Wire.
, as were other family members. When he was young, a man ran over Barksdale’s leg with his truck after Barksdale stole from the man. As a result, Barksdale underwent an amputation
and subsequently became addicted to opiates.
. In 2003, he was acquitted of a federal charge of being a felon with a gun.
Barksdale’s name appeared in the Baltimore Sun's 1987 series Easy Money: Anatomy of a Drug Empire, the author of which was David Simon
, who went on to be the creator, executive producer, and head writer of The Wire. In the newspaper series, which focuses on the criminal career of Melvin Williams
, Simon depicts Barksdale as a ruthless killer and a drug addict. Simon also writes that Barksdale once tortured three people in the Baltimore projects and that his battery conviction was related to the torture incident.
is the executive producer, and singer Troy May of The Manhattans
is the narrator.
Legends of the Unwired consists of dramatizations of alleged events in Barksdale’s criminal career, interviews with his family and friends, and interviews of Barksdale by actor Wood Harris
, who plays drug kingpin Avon Barksdale
on The Wire. Its major claim is that it is the true story of Avon Barksdale, but David Simon disputes that claim.
is a character in The Wire who comes up in the Barksdale organization). According to Simon, neither of those names is associated with Barksdale in any official document; and Barksdale has failed to produce any documentary evidence of having any middle name or nickname.
Some connections between The Wire and Simon’s reporting on Barksdale, however, are evident. In addition to the name and the boxing background, for example, in Easy Money, Simon avers that Marlow Bates and Timmirror Stanfield were rivals of Barksdale. In The Wire, Marlo Stanfield
becomes a major rival of Avon Barksdale who eventually takes over the Baltimore drug trade. (For his part, Barksdale claims that Bates is a close friend.)
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He is a Baltimore drug dealer dramatized in the HBO series The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, but the extent to which any of the show’s characters or plot lines are based on his life is disputed. His life is the subject of the unreleased docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
Baltimore Chronicles: Legends of the Unwired, which purports to be the true story behind The Wire.
Early life
Barksdale was raised in the Lexington Terrace projects in Baltimore. He was involved in boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, as were other family members. When he was young, a man ran over Barksdale’s leg with his truck after Barksdale stole from the man. As a result, Barksdale underwent an amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
and subsequently became addicted to opiates.
Criminal career
Barksdale was a drug dealer in West Baltimore who purportedly survived twenty-one gunshots, some of which were fired while Barksdale was in hospital after a prior, failed murder attempt. In 1985, Barksdale was sentenced to fifteen years in state prison for batteryBattery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
. In 2003, he was acquitted of a federal charge of being a felon with a gun.
Barksdale’s name appeared in the Baltimore Sun's 1987 series Easy Money: Anatomy of a Drug Empire, the author of which was David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
, who went on to be the creator, executive producer, and head writer of The Wire. In the newspaper series, which focuses on the criminal career of Melvin Williams
Melvin Williams (actor)
Melvin D. Williams , known as Little Melvin, is a former drug trafficker and organized crime figure in his native Baltimore, Maryland. Williams is widely known for his involvement in heroin trafficking in Baltimore in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Simon depicts Barksdale as a ruthless killer and a drug addict. Simon also writes that Barksdale once tortured three people in the Baltimore projects and that his battery conviction was related to the torture incident.
Legends of the Unwired
Baltimore Chronicles: Legends of the Unwired is the unreleased, low-budget docudrama that is based on Barksdale’s life. It is directed by Bruce Brown, and Drew Berry is the writer and producer. Kenneth A. JacksonKenneth A. Jackson
Kenneth A. Jackson is a businessman in Baltimore, Maryland, with past connections to the illegal drug trade in that city. He is one of the Baltimore underworld figures whose stories are dramatized in the HBO series The Wire, but his actual influence upon the show is disputed...
is the executive producer, and singer Troy May of The Manhattans
The Manhattans
The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group, with a string of hit records spanning four decades. Their best known million-selling songs being "Kiss and Say Goodbye" and 'Shining Star' in 1980...
is the narrator.
Legends of the Unwired consists of dramatizations of alleged events in Barksdale’s criminal career, interviews with his family and friends, and interviews of Barksdale by actor Wood Harris
Wood Harris
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the HBO television drama The Wire, and as high-school football player Julius Campbell in the 2000 motion picture Remember the Titans.-Life and career:Harris was born in...
, who plays drug kingpin Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
on The Wire. Its major claim is that it is the true story of Avon Barksdale, but David Simon disputes that claim.
Disputed Connection to The Wire
Simon denies that Nathan Barksdale or any other individual is the basis for any specific character in The Wire. A major point of contention is Barksdale’s claim that his middle name is Avon and his nickname is “Bodie” (Bodie BroadusBodie Broadus
Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a Barksdale organization drug dealer in "The Pit" who slowly rises through the ranks...
is a character in The Wire who comes up in the Barksdale organization). According to Simon, neither of those names is associated with Barksdale in any official document; and Barksdale has failed to produce any documentary evidence of having any middle name or nickname.
Some connections between The Wire and Simon’s reporting on Barksdale, however, are evident. In addition to the name and the boxing background, for example, in Easy Money, Simon avers that Marlow Bates and Timmirror Stanfield were rivals of Barksdale. In The Wire, Marlo Stanfield
Marlo Stanfield
Marlo "Black" Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ruthless and ambitious player in the Baltimore drug trade who gains control of West Baltimore and is the head of his own drug crew.-Character background and plot...
becomes a major rival of Avon Barksdale who eventually takes over the Baltimore drug trade. (For his part, Barksdale claims that Bates is a close friend.)
External links
- http://www.baltimorechronicles.com/