Barnard Barney Gumble is a character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire . He is the town drunk of Springfield, a huge fan of Lord Palmerston, and Homer Simpson's best friend. His desperation for alcohol is a frequent butt of jokes on the show. Barney sobered up in the episode Days of Wine and D'oh'ses , which was co-written by Castellaneta, and stayed sober for several seasons. Barney was inspired by the cartoon character Barney Rubble from The Flintstones and by several barflies from other television programs. In 2004, Castellaneta won an Emmy Award for voicing various characters, including Barney.Barney can be seen in the 2009-present The Simpsons opening credits, passed out under a pile of leaves (but still holding his beloved bottle of Duff Beer).