David Eugene Joyner was born on July 4th, 1963, in Decatur, Illinois, to Roscoe and Mary Joyner, and is the 5th of six children, affectionately known as "Preacher" growing up. He graduated from MacArthur High School in 1981, with honors, at the age of 17, and later earned an Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology from ITT Technical Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana, also with honors, in 1983.
Before pursuing a career in entertainment, Joyner worked as a mechanically moving mannequin in store windows, earning him the nickname "The Mannequin Man" in 1982. He then moved to Dallas, Texas, where he worked for six years as a Software Analyst at Texas Instruments, performing at various clubs, malls, churches, and local TV talk shows in his free time.
In 1988, Joyner became a Professional Motivational Speaker, and in 1990, he resigned from his job at Texas Instruments to pursue his entertainment career full-time. He began performing as "Mr. Entertainment-David E. Joyner-The Mannequin Man" and later became an Acting Coach at the Dallas TV & Film Workshop, now known as the Dallas Young Actors Studio & Performance Center.
In 1992, Joyner was cast as the original Barney in the hit TV series "Barney & Friends," a role he played until 2001. He then moved to Los Angeles to continue his acting career, making appearances as Barney and training new actors to play the role. Joyner also continued to work as a Motivational Speaker and Acting Coach.
In 1998, Joyner answered his call to Ministry and began pursuing Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church. However, he soon realized his calling was bigger than being a Pastor in a church and decided to focus on sharing his love for children around the world.
In 2002, Joyner guest-starred on the TV series "That's So Raven" and was approached by a producer who was developing a new children's character named Hip Hop Harry, a rapping teddy bear. Joyner was offered the role of Hip Hop Harry and began performing as the character, starting a new chapter in his world of children's entertainment.
As Hip Hop Harry, Joyner works as a youth counselor, rapper, singer, and dancer, spreading positive and enlightening messages to both kids and adults. He has made live appearances, performing with a team of talented break dancers, and has also appeared on TV, including a TV series on Discovery Kids.
