Edward Emanuel Barefield, known as Eddie Barefield, was an influential American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and arranger born on December 12, 1909, in Scandia, Iowa. He grew up in Des Moines, where his musical journey began at age twelve when his mother gifted him a saxophone. Barefield's early career saw him playing throughout the Midwest, gaining significant big-band experience with the Bennie Moten orchestra in 1932, which later became the Count Basie Orchestra.

In 1933, at the age of 24, Barefield joined Cab Calloway's orchestra, where he arranged and wrote music for over four decades. He also conducted the orchestra for Ella Fitzgerald after Chick Webb's death in 1939. Throughout his career, Barefield collaborated with notable bands and musicians such as McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Les Hite, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, and Benny Carter.

Barefield's contributions extended beyond performance; he was an arranger for top big bands during the swing era, including those of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Jimmy Dorsey. He served as a staff musician for ABC in the 1940s and was the musical director for the original Broadway production of "Streetcar Named Desire" in 1947. Barefield spent a decade with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus band and later worked with the Illinois Jacquet big band.

In addition to his musical endeavors, Barefield appeared in films such as "Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho" (1934) and "The Night They Raided Minsky's" (1968). He lived in the Bronx with his wife, Connie Harris, a dancer featured in 35 films. Eddie Barefield passed away from a heart attack on January 4, 1991, in New York City, leaving behind a legacy as a prominent figure in the jazz world.