Just heard the news that the radio legend Barry has passed away. He has fought a hard battle with cancer of late and at least now he is pain free.
Barry had an amazing life and did so much to promote music. Below is some info from his website which tells you just a little of what he was involved in:
I started presenting radio shows in 1970 with Radio Geronimo, London with Jimmy Miller & Tony Secunda, then 1971 WPLJ-fm New York, Radio Caroline/Seagull Holland in 1973, KSML-fm Lake Tahoe 1974-’75, KFAT-fm Gilroy Ca ’75. KDKB-fm Pheonix, Ariz. 1976 – ’78. Rock Around The World weekly music radio magazine, 1979 syndicated from LA Ca. Live music became my calling and I mixed & tour managed many many bands from 1985 – 1999 including The Cramps, The Blue Aeroplanes, Joan Armatrading, Steve Wynn, Green On Red, Chuck Profit, The La’s, Wedding Present, Patti Smith, Korn, Merril Brainbridge, Sepultura, Sham 69, Del Amitri, Eat, Roger Chapman, Boo Hewerdine, H-Town, Mindy McCready, East/West Records, BMG, Wall Of Sound, The Pink Fairies, Dogs d’Amour and many more.I was the house sound engineer at The Marquee, The Borderline, The Astoria, The Forum / Town & Country Club, Dingwalls & stage manager at Shepherds Bush Empire. Borderline Radio started when I became the Borderline club’s booker/promoter in 2000, the club went on to win Time Out venue of the year in 2001 and I was voted by a Time Out readers poll as promoter of the year 2001, my sponsor was the late John Lee Hooker, whilst with The Mean Fiddler Group I booked, the Bob Dylan & Counting Crows Fleadh, Shepherds Bush Empire, The Forum, Union Chapel, St James Church and both Mean Fiddler venues, after leaving The Borderline in February 2007, my radio show morphed into ‘The House of Mercy’ and within a year it was being syndicated around the world, I kept the radio going with new and archive weekly shows as well as tour managing Joan Armatrading till 2010 when due to medical reasons I retired from the road and concentrated purely on radio and my small record label.. The web site has a record and book shop that reflects our records of the week, the sessions and what the musicians are currently reading on the road. Back in 2007 I had a little radio studio in the box room of my house and in April 2007 Rachel Harrington played the first ever radio session for the House of Mercy radio show, recorded in the bedroom that soon became the Boudoir Studio, we have now clocked up over 300 sessions. In January 2011, my then 87 year old Auntie Honor took sick and moved into what was The Boudoir Studio, we built the Snake Pit Studio in our back garden. On Tuesday 15th May 2012 Auntie died in her sleep in the old Boudoir Studio, we and all the bands who played sessions in the new Snake Pit and visited Auntie will miss her, tea & cake at three will never be the same.
That’s a sad loss.
I mainly know of Barry as one-time promoter at The Borderline (as noted above). While he was in charge there was hardly a better venue in London to catch either the up and coming acts or American acts that had a decent following over there but meant nothing over here.
I can’t recall the last time I went to the The Borderline, but twenty odd years ago it was a regular venue for my wife and I.
Some memorable gigs – Kathleen Edwards’ first London gig, also Tift Merrit’s first London gig, Blue Rodeo, Kim Richey, Jay Farrar, Catie Curtis, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Bellwether with Robert McReedy, Vigilantes Of Love, Laura Cantrell and a fair few Chuck Prophet gigs.
Thanks Barry.
Barry was also instrumental in cultivating Eileen Rose’s career in the UK and I saw her a few time at The Borderline. Here’s Eileen with her song Good Man (not about Barry, but I’m sure he loved the song).
Another good man down. He was a truly lovely bloke and we shared much enthusiasm for the music. It wasn’t long ago (probably Christmas) I checked his FB page. Bugger.
Eileen Rose’s residency at the Borderline became legendary. Such a shame that she never broke through, but she’s still plugging away at home. I last saw her there years ago, supporting Laura Cantrell.
From Eileen in a private email: “How very sad. Most definitely one of the good ones.”
If you knew Barry, or enjoyed Americana gigs at the Borderline, perhaps this might be appropriate:
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/cody-js-fundraising-page
Lovely to hear your comments about Barry. Here is a song that Bex Marshall (Barry’s wife) wrote about him
That’s lovely. Heartfelt but not in the least mawkish.