Bob Barry's Unearthed Interviews

Dolly Parton

September 30, 2020 05:00 - 7 minutes - 8.28 MB

Dolly Parton is a legendary country singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and business woman. I found out that one of her band members was from Milwaukee and her husband is not her biggest fan. She explained her interview in Playboy magazine, her favorite recording artist, biggest hit, a lawsuit, and her wigs. But, how did a piece of the Skylab get into our conversation?

Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme

September 23, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.53 MB

Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, an American pop vocal duet, started their career together when they married in 1957. Steve had several hit records including “Portrait of My Love” and “Go Away Little Girl.” Eydie had a hit in 1963, “Blame it on the Bossa Nova.” They appeared in movies and on TV and won some Grammy and Emmy awards. Steve talks about how they met and Eydie has her thoughts on life in general. A little known piece of trivia: Eydie was a first cousin to singer-songwriter Neil Sed...

Leonard Nimoy

September 16, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 6.08 MB

Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock on “Star Trek,” told me the makeup for his part took hours to apply. They had scientific people who worked on the show and developed scripts that they felt could actually come true someday. Leonard explains all of that and talks about what it felt like to play his part in “Mission Impossible” and “Star Trek.”

Don Adams

September 09, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.31 MB

Born Donald James Yarmy, professionally known as Don Adams, the bumbling detective Maxwell Smart (agent 86) on the popular TV sitcom “Get Smart.” Don tells an interesting story about how he came up with his stage name, how he got the job on “Get Smart” and how he developed the character. He loved doing the show but admits it prevented him from getting other TV and movie parts.

Gary Puckett

September 02, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.52 MB

Gary Puckett and the Union Gap was an American pop rock group, active from 1960 to 1971. I questioned Gary on his name, the group’s name, and the ladies responsible for their hit records.

Frankie Laine

August 26, 2020 05:00 - 2 minutes - 2.11 MB

If you’re a movie buff, you remember “High Noon” starring Gary Cooper. In the film, Tex Ritter sang the theme, but Frankie Laine had the hit record. Frankie also recorded the theme for TV’s “Rawhide.” Frankie Laine was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His career spanned nearly 75 years. Backstage, following his appearance at Italian Fest, Frankie talked about some of his biggest hits and told me something I was not aware of. Photo taken backstage at Festa Italiana on the Summerfe...

Nicolette Larson

August 19, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.92 MB

American pop singer Nicolette Larson was best known for her only hit record “Lotta Love.” She surprised me when she sang a snippet of the song on my show. She told me how she found it and also did a 16-word radio audition for me.

Buffalo Bob

August 12, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MB

Robert Emil Schmidt, best known as Buffalo Bob, host of the children’s TV show “Howdy Doody.” Of course, he was born in Buffalo, New York. He’ll explain how he got the job, how they did the show, developing the characters and the voice of Howdy Doody. His first job was in radio at WGR in Buffalo.

Trini Lopez

August 05, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.64 MB

Trini Lopez, an American singer, guitarist, and actor. His first album included a version of “If I Had a Hammer” which earned a Gold Record. Other hits included “Lemon Tree.” This is some of his story.

Gene Pitney

July 29, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MB

He was a popular singer, but also a songwriter. Gene Pitney will surprise you with some of the titles he penned and a couple of little known stories.

Billy Richards (Coasters)

July 22, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.62 MB

My talented producer, Skip Taylor, joined me in a conversation with Billy Richards from the Coasters. Billy told us how those crazy songs by the Coasters originated. The ladies in our audience might not appreciate one of his explanations.

Rodney Dangerfield

July 15, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.82 MB

Comedian Jack Roy, better known as Rodney Dangerfield, got no respect. He loved talking about how he got his name and how the routine got started. Rodney was a standup comedian, actor, musician and author. He’ll mention a big name comic who he was proud to admit, gave him some respect. And once he got started I couldn’t stop his barrage of jokes.

Bill Medley

July 08, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.78 MB

I interviewed Bill Medley, the bass and baritone voice of the Righteous Brothers. They produced the hit record “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” which fooled a lot of DJs, being that it ran for 3 minutes and 46 seconds. That was very long for a recording in 1964. But I had another question for Bill regarding 1964. I wanted to know why the Righteous Brothers were not at the Milwaukee Arena.

Tina Turner

July 01, 2020 05:00 - 6 minutes - 6.16 MB

This popular singer started out with Ike Turners’ Kings of Rhythm before recording hit singles both with Ike and as a solo performer. Tina Turner gave me the inside on Ike, her life, and their music.

Rick Derringer (McCoys)

June 24, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 5 MB

Rick Derringer is an American singer, guitarist, Grammy award winning producer, and entertainer. He is best known as a member of the McCoys, a popular 1960s rock and roll group. He talks about his connection with wrestling, Weird Al Yankovic, and songs he wrote for movies. Did he enjoy his time with the McCoys? Rick will answer that and tell us how the McCoys got their first and biggest hit “Hang On Sloopy.” By the way, the original title was “My Girl Sloopy.” Photo is of the McCoys backst...

Phyllis Diller

June 17, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.94 MB

Phyllis Diller was an American actress and stand-up comedian, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, and her wild hair and clothing. She reveals her beginnings, facelifts and how hard it was for women comics in those days. Phyllis paved the way for Joan Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres and others. She will also tell us how she got a U.S. senator to come out of the closet.

Judy Carne

June 10, 2020 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.43 MB

Judy Carne was an English actress best known for the phrase “Sock it to Me” on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. Her given name was Joyce. Her school instructor told her that Joyce was not a good professional name, so she changed it. Judy had small roles in a number of films and TV shows but she gained famed on “Laugh-In.” She told me about a body part she showed that was a no-no at the time and listen closely for a line that was in a script that got by the censors, but got a lot of flak from vie...

Danny and the Juniors

June 03, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 4.17 MB

Danny and the Juniors was a group of four guys from Philadelphia, whose main contribution to rock and roll was the 1958 hit song “At the Hop.” Joe Terry was the front man for the group and told me how they got their name and Dick Clark’s part in their success.

Zsa Zsa Gabor and Burt Reynolds

May 27, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.87 MB

My producer Skip Taylor enjoyed waking celebrities up during my 6-9 a.m. radio program. One was not so happy Hungarian-born actress was Zsa Zsa Gabor. I asked about her nine marriages, her age, and advice for the women listening in. She gave me some entertaining answers. Long before Milwaukee Brewers star outfielder Christian Yelich posed nude for ESPN’s Body Issue, actor Burt Reynolds became the first male to pose au naturale in Cosmopolitan magazine. The year was 1972. Burt appeared in m...

Mark Vollman (Turtles)

May 20, 2020 05:00 - 9 minutes - 9.09 MB

The Turtles have appeared in Wisconsin many times including their favorite venue, Summerfest. Mark Vollman says they turned down a song that became a hit but with “Happy Days” there was a better outcome. Also interesting how the British affected their group name.

Johnny Rivers

May 13, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.94 MB

Johnny Rivers had many hits in the 60s and 70s. What was his connection with Whiskey a Go-Go in Hollywood? You’ll never guess who was responsible for his name and his success.

George Burns

May 06, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 4.2 MB

George Burns was an American comedian actor, singer, and writer. His career spanned vaudeville, radio, film and TV. He lived to be 100 years old. I called him on his 88th birthday. He talked about his long career with wife Gracie and on his own, dating, cigar smoking, playing god in the movies, and his philosophy on life.

The Carpenters

April 29, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 6.16 MB

The Carpenters was the real name for Karen and Richard, not a stage name. And there was more to the Carpenter’s sound then met the ear. Their song “We’ve Only Just Begun” was originally a bank commercial and it became the most requested song at weddings. Their first hit in 1970 “Close to You” was written by Burt Bacharach, offered to Herb Alpert, who turned it down and then picked up by the Carpenters. I found out how their duo got started, how they got along with each other, and Karen expl...

Rick Nelson

April 22, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 4.14 MB

Rick Nelson was the son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. They had a hit radio show in the 1940s and a popular TV show “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” from 1952 to 1966. In 1957, while Rick was on the TV show he recorded his first single for Imperial Records, “Be Bop Baby,” which sold more than a million copies. I mentioned the song to him during his appearance at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva and we discussed his show biz career.

Mary Wilson (Supremes)

April 15, 2020 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.73 MB

Mary Wilson was best known as the founding member and longest lasting member of the popular singing group, The Supremes. Wilson remained with the group following the departure of the original members, Florence Ballard in 1967 and Diana Ross in 1970. Following Mary’s departure in 1977, the group disbanded. Mary and I talked about their success and how they started entertaining us.

Bill Withers

April 08, 2020 05:00 - 3 minutes - 4.14 MB

Bill Withers wrote and sang a number of songs in the 1970s including “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” and “Just the Two of Us.” He was a three-time Grammy Award winner and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. I’m not quite sure that he was awake when I called him but he was gracious in accepting my call. You’ll never guess what his occupation was before he became a singer.

Nancy Sinatra

April 01, 2020 05:00 - 4 minutes - 5 MB

Nancy Sinatra is a singer, actress, and the elder daughter of Frank and Nancy Sinatra. Nancy had a co-starring role with Elvis Presley in the movie “Speedway” and with Peter Fonda in “The Wild Angels.” In the film “Marriage on the Rocks,” Frank and Nancy Sinatra played a fictional father and daughter and later a radio station DJs implied that they had an intimate relationship. Nancy shares that story and an interesting bit about her first hit record in 1966.

Kenny Rogers

March 25, 2020 05:00 - 2 minutes - 2.93 MB

Kenny Rogers is an American singer, song writer, record producer and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He charted more than 120 hit songs across various music formats. When I talked with him, he quickly corrected my inaccurate information about him.

Mr. Whipple

March 18, 2020 05:00 - 2 minutes - 3.16 MB

If you have been listening to my podcast for a while, you know by now that I am a pack rat. I think I have saved almost every interview I have ever done. The only ones I don’t have are the ones I lost in a flood in 1976 during an ice storm. Therefore I have some really weird conversations in my closet. Here is one with Mr. Whipple. He was the guy who did the very popular Charmin bathroom tissue commercials. He’ll give you that famous line and explain how it all happened.

Paul Revere and the Raiders

March 11, 2020 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.48 MB

Can you guess which the biggest hit record was for Paul Revere and the Raiders? Was it “Kicks,” “Just Like Me,” or “Hungry?” Paul surprised me with his answer. He also explained the story behind the song, which had been a flop for another artist. It went to number one, sold more than a million copies and stayed on the charts for 22 weeks. Paul also talks about the group’s history and he revealed the name of his partner in the night club they owned in Reno. Photo taken at a sold out concert...

Bobby Bare

March 04, 2020 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.8 MB

Bobby Bare, was an American country music singer and songwriter, who had his own TV show in the 1980s. Bobby was best known for songs “Detroit City” and “500 Miles Away From Home.” But the song I was interested in was “All American Boy.” I got Bobby to explain the strange outcome of this hit record. Photo was taken in the radio station studio.

Henry Youngman

February 26, 2020 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.7 MB

Do you remember the King of the One-Liners Henny Youngman? Remember his line: “Take my wife please.” If you watched the TV comedy show “Laugh In,” you saw Henny perform. He was the one responsible for dial a joke in 1974. Over three million people called in one month to hear 30 seconds of Youngman’s material, the most ever for a comedian. Henry talks about that and uses some of his one-liners to take a shot at the disc jockey.

Jan and Dean

February 19, 2020 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.91 MB

Among their most successful songs was “Surf City” in 1963, the first surf song to make the billboard top 100. But Jan of the popular duo Jan and Dean told me the most interesting stories about their hits “Dead Man’s Curve” and “Little Old Lady from Pasadena.”

Paul Anka

February 12, 2020 06:00 - 2 minutes - 3.4 MB

Paul Anka did it his way with “My Way.” The song was a huge hit for Frank Sinatra, but why didn’t Paul record it? Beside that tune, we discuss his biggest composition, which might surprise you. He also mentioned his biggest hit.

Lou Christie

February 05, 2020 06:00 - 2 minutes - 3.48 MB

Entertainer Lou Christie had some hits in the 60s. “Two Faces Have I,” “Lightning Strikes,”and others. He came to Milwaukee to promote his latest hit and I talked him into joining me at a bar mitzvah that i was emceeing for 50 boys and girls at the Blatz Pavillion in Milwaukee. He said later, “I guess I did anything at that time to get my record played.” He was a church choir boy when he was young, with no musical training. I wondered how he got that very different vocal sound on his records.

Rolling Stones

January 29, 2020 06:00 - 1 minute - 2.54 MB

On the night of Nov. 11, 1964 I introduced the Rolling Stones in concert at the Milwaukee auditorium. After the concert I asked Mick Jagger how he came up with the group’s name. Wait for it! Following his answer you’ll hear a clip of what he is referring to. Bob’s entire WITI-TV interview with the Stones was destroyed when the station moved to a new location and discarded all of their old tapes. The photo is Bill Wyman, the Stones bass player, showing disappointment at not seeing one of ...

Peggy Lee

January 22, 2020 06:00 - 7 minutes - 7.61 MB

Her career lasted for six decades. Norma Deloris Egstrom was known professionally as Peggy Lee. She was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress. She discusses her connection with Paul McCartney and her giant hits including “Is That All There Is?” She gave us the inside on what it was like to play the part of an alcoholic blues singer in “Pete Kelly’s Blues.” She explains the toughest parts of the doing the film and what they offered her to help with the scenes. Al...

Chubby Checker and Jose Feliciano

January 15, 2020 06:00 - 3 minutes - 4.41 MB

Chubby Checker, a Philadelphia rock and roll singer and dancer was best known for a dance we’ve all enjoyed. He reached the top spot not only with the same song, but also with the same record in 1960 and 1961, the only time that this feat has been pulled off. Chubby was crowned the king of dance by everyone from the American Banstandeers to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. He made 32 hit records and performed in every major city in the country and in the world. In this conversation, Chubby t...

Herman's Hermits

January 08, 2020 06:00 - 7 minutes - 7.25 MB

I sat down in a Pfister hotel room with Peter Moone and Herman’s Hermits. Peter explained how they got their group name and surprised me with the name of his favorite recording artists. Lead guitarist Derek Leckenby shared his thoughts on some of their recordings. We’ll hear a couple of crazy voice tracks and some sound from their July 1965 concert at the Milwaukee auditorium. The photo with Peter Noone was taken in his hotel room at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. The group picture was tak...

Gregory Peck

January 01, 2020 06:00 - 4 minutes - 5.14 MB

I often wondered what a movie producer did. Gregory Peck answered that question. He was one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. He received five Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 1962 for his performance in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He’ll reveal his favorite movie and best leading ladies. Was he bothered by all the attention he got? And what was the story behind a case of scotch appearing in one of his films.

Gene Autry

December 25, 2019 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.5 MB

Gene Autry, singer, songwriter, actor, musician, and rodeo performer gained fame as a singing cowboy on radio and TV. He was the owner of several radio stations in southern California. Gene appeared in 93 films and hosted the “Gene Autry Show.” On this day, my interest was in his biggest hit record “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.”

Bing Crosby

December 18, 2019 06:00 - 2 minutes - 3.44 MB

Harry Lillis Crosby was a multimedia star, a leader in radio ratings, record sales, and motion picture grosses. Early in his career he developed an intimate singing style that influenced many singers who followed him, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como. I wanted to know where the name “Bing” came from and the background of his biggest hit “White Christmas.” But Bing wanted to know about our weather in Milwaukee.

Jackie Vernon (Frosty the Snowman)

December 11, 2019 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.31 MB

Jackie Vernon was a stand up comedian and actor who is best known for his role as the voice of “Frosty the Snowman” on CBS television. He was also known for his low key comedy. His opening line was, “To look at me now, it’s hard to believe I was once considered a dull guy.” We’ll find out what made him dull, have him present a short slide show and of course find out how Frosty was born.

Dave Clark Five

December 04, 2019 06:00 - 3 minutes - 4.33 MB

The Dave Clark Five, appeared on the Ed Sullivan show 18 times and three times in Milwaukee. Their first appearance here drew an estimated 10,000 screaming teens to George Devine’s million dollar ballroom at the Eagles Club June 7, 1964. Tickets were $2 in advance and $3 at the door. The ballroom had a capacity of 3,000. The teens were packed in so tight that when someone would pass out, they would pass them forward to the stage and we would take them to a room backstage for medical assist...

Ray Charles

November 27, 2019 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.45 MB

“What I Say” was a number one Billboard R&B hit in 1959. It was recorded by Ray Charles Robinson, known as Ray Charles. He was a singer, songwriter, and musician. Brother Ray was often referred to as “the ‘”genius. He told me what it was like growing up sightless and about his incredible music.

Frankie Avalon

November 20, 2019 06:00 - 3 minutes - 4.36 MB

Remember Frankie Avalon, singer, actor and former teen idol? He had 31-charted Billboard singles including “Why” and “Venus.” But, there was one other hit that most thought was very amusing. And Frankie had one memory of Milwaukee he would like to forget. WOKY Pop Festival image at Milwaukee County Stadium

Mitch Miller

November 13, 2019 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.66 MB

A lot of you might remember the songs “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” “The Children’s Marching Song,” and “The March from the River Kwai.” I talked to the man responsible for all of those hit records and I think my introduction will pretty much tell the whole story.

Bob Hope

November 06, 2019 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.66 MB

Leslie Townes Hope, known professionally as Bob Hope, was an English American stand-up comic and actor. His career spanned nearly 80 years. His theme song was “Thanks for the Memory” and he was not too thankful, but still gracious, that I woke him up. We’ll hear how he picked up his material, his marriage, some heat he got on a line he did, Oscars, his home in Palm Springs, his overseas tours, and what makes him laugh.

Del Shannon

October 30, 2019 05:00 - 3 minutes - 4.02 MB

“Runaway” was a number one hit on the Billboard Top 100, written by Del Shannon in 1961. It became an international hit and is on Rolling Stones Greatest Songs of All Time list. His falsetto voice got my attention as well as where he found his stage name and his biggest hit.

James Brown

October 16, 2019 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.8 MB

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. In Joel Whitburn’s analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked number one in the top 500 artists. He gave me a wild and wooly interview with singing and words of wisdom.

Bob Barry's Unearthed Interviews

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