Podcast
Bob Barry's Unearthed Interviews
Hosted by Bob Barry · EN
The music of the 60s and 70s was groundbreaking and it set the stage for the decades of amazing music that followed it. Milwaukee radio legend and Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Barry spoke with countless musicians and celebrities over the years and collected remarkable recordings of his encounters with these talented people, which he's now sharing with the public in this podcast. He spoke with Sonny and Cher, James Brown, Dolly Parton, and and many others, and they shared their amazing stories about their lives and careers. All the episodes will be available as they're released at WisconsinBroadcastingMuseum.org. This podcast was made possible by a generous contribution from Terry Baun.
17episodes
Episodes
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Shelley Berman
2d ago00:10:35Tap to summarizeOn today's podcast, a guy who turned anxiety into an art form, arguments into punchlines, and imaginary phone calls into comedy gold. Long before stand-up had edge, Shelley Berman had nerves and always sold-out night clubs. He didn't just tell jokes, he unraveled in real time…and audiences loved every minute of it. He was a pioneer and a storyteller. Shelley was brilliantly frazzled, the original overthinker.
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Mae Boren Axton
1w ago00:06:56Tap to summarizeSeventy years ago this month, Elvis Presley topped the Billboard Music charts and redefined popular music in America with "Heartbreak Hotel," his first single for the RCA label. Mae Boren Axton co-wrote the song and introduced Elvis to Colonel Parker. She was a 41-year-old English teacher, and singer, songwriter, who knew Presley when he was a teenager. Mae was one of the first people to interview Elvis.
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Joyce Haber
2w ago00:16:10Tap to summarizeToday's podcast takes us into the golden age of show biz gossip, when the movie studios were powerful, the stars were glamorous, and the columns were read before the morning coffee was finished. Our guest was one of the sharpest observers of that world: A journalist who knew where the stories were and who the players were. She chronicled the triumphs, scandals, romances, and rivalries of Tinseltown with wit and truth. If there was buzz on Sunset Boulevard or whispers on a studio lot, chances are she heard it first. Gossip columnist Joyce Haber gives us a history lesson of movie stars, power lunches, red carpets, and the art of the gossip column. Joyce wrote a New York Times best seller "The Users," which was turned into a movie, featuring many well-known movie actors. It made many Hollywood stars nervous.
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Garrett Morris
3w ago00:09:00Tap to summarizeToday's podcast features comedy royalty. He was there at the very beginning, when Saturday Night Live was live, dangerous, and nobody knew if it would make it to a second season. He's an original cast member, a trailblazer, and the man who could steal a sketch with one look, one line, or one perfectly timed glare. You know him from "SNL," the "Jeffersons," "Two Broke Girls," and the sci-fi movie "The Stuff," which is available to watch for free on the Tubi app. Garrett is a singer, a survivor, a storyteller, and one of the great unsung nice guys of American TV comedy. Here's one example where Chevy Chase is doing a news broadcast for the hard of hearing with Garrett Morris translating.
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Jonathon Brandmeier
May 600:07:27Tap to summarizeToday's podcast features a man who didn't just work in radio, he rewired it. Back when morning radio was safe, polite, and sponsored by decaf, Jonathan Brandmeier showed up with a wicked grin and absolutely no intention of behaving. He turned drive time into prime time, mixed satire with rock 'n' roll and proved you could be smart, outrageous, and fearless, all before most of us finished our first cup of coffee. He's a Radio Hall of Famer, a musical satirist, a TV personality, and the only man who could turn a headline into a hit song before the traffic report. I worked with Johnny B at WOKY before the general manager refused to give him a $25 raise, forcing him to move to the Arizona airwaves and eventually to Chicago. Here we discussed his latest radio mischief.
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Charles Correll
Apr 2900:06:41Tap to summarizeFor today's podcast, we step back into the golden age of radio. Yes, radio, that magical wooden box that once entertained America before we all started staring at our phones and arguing with our wi-fi. Today we're rewinding the clock to when sound effects were made with coconut shells, scripts were held together with hope and caffeine, and one show stopped the nation in its tracks, "Amos' n' Andy." And at the heart of it all was the incredibly talented Charles Correll, the voice of Andy Brown. Actor, writer, producer, sound effects guy and probably if something broke in the studio he might have fixed that too. Charles helped create an era when the only thing streaming was imagination. As one half of the legendary radio duo behind "Amos 'n' Andy," Charles helped create one of the most influential and controversial programs in entertainment history. So, adjust your antenna, mind the static, and let's travel back to when America tuned in together.
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Tovah Feldshuh
Apr 2200:06:54Tap to summarizeWelcome to the Bob Barry podcast, featuring a six-time Emmy and Tony nominee, a film and television legend, and a woman whose voice can command a courtroom or a comedy club. From portraying Golda Meir, to lighting up screens in shows like her role of Deanna Monroe in "The Walking Dead" and Neomi in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," she brings intelligence, fire, humor, and heart to everything she touches. At the time, Tovah was in Milwaukee, appearing in "The Sound of Music." She has an interesting story about her name and is not afraid to make fun of it on stage.
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Bobby Vinton
Apr 1500:14:48Tap to summarizeMany of you who are familiar with our podcast know that music legend Bobby Vinton has been a friend of ours for many years. Recently the Wisconsin Historical Society unearthed an interview with Bobby that hasn't been heard on this program. Those of you not familiar with this chart- topping sensation I only need to tell you he was the voice that defined romance. When the world needed a love song, he gave us one. He's the man behind timeless classics like "Blue Velvet," "Roses are Red," and "Mr. Lonely." And besides all that, Bobby was a television and movie star. And he's a very down-to-earth superstar, as you will hear in this podcast.
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Don Garlits
Apr 800:06:44Tap to summarizeStrap in and fire it up. This podcast has the man, the machine, and a quarter mile of pure nerve. They call him Big Daddy Don Garlits, the pioneer who changed drag racing forever. He was a multiple world champion, founder of the legendary swamp rat dragsters and a hall of fame icon, whose name still echoes down the strip every time the lights drop. Garlits helped turn drag racing into a national spectacle – speed, science and fearless determination. (Photo shows WOKY's Barney Pip and I with our trophies won at the Great Lakes Dragway.)
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Celia Weston
Apr 100:06:31Tap to summarizeToday's podcast guest is one of those actors where you say, 'Wait a minute, I love her…what do I know her from? And the answer is: Everything. Broadway, film, television, award-winning drama, awkward family dinners – she's done it all. She's been nominated for an Oscar, stolen scenes from Hollywood legends and made us laugh cry and rethink Thanksgiving conversations. If you've ever watched a movie and thought, 'That character feels dangerously real,' chances are it was Celia Weston. You've seen her on "Alice," "Parenthood," Modern Family" and "In the Bedroom," where her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination.
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