UPDATED: Old Seattle Radio Saturday: Buzz Barr, 1937-2011 R.I.P.

(CORRECTION: CHARLIE BROWN IS NOT DEAD, AS WE REPORTED EARLIER).

He once gave Mick Jagger a piggyback ride. Said it was "all in a day's work in Seattle rock radio in the '60's."

Buzz Barr, Seattle Top 40 program director and rock 'n' roll deejay cum station owner and publicist died Thursday at his home in Aberdeen. He was 74.

Old friend and former KOL colleague Bill Taylor says, "He was a good guy and a terrific broadcaster."

Pat O'Day both competed with Mr. Barr and employed him. "Buzz was such a dedicated broadcaster. It was his life and he did it
proud. Always reaching for the stars, he was show biz!"

His radio career started in Hoquiam (as did the careers of several other Seattle locals such as Steve West (KJR) and Bill Munson (KOL, KJR, KAYO).

Buzz Barr moved-on up to Centralia’s KITI (where his on-air name was Tom Cat), then to Tacoma’s long-gone KMO, then to KVI.

He left KVI in the mid-1960s for KOL, where he kick-started the station’s Top 40 format (KOLORFUL KOL) going head-to-head against market leader KJR and Pat O'Day.

Dex Allen (KOL 1965-67) writes: "Buzz rescued me from Pittsburgh in September 1965 when he hired me to come to KOL as the 9 to midnight guy... KOL and KJR were in a head to head battle and I was thrilled that Buzz brought me to Seattle." Listen to some old KOL "Magnificent 7" jingles.

(KJR heyday: Lan Roberts, Mike Phillips, Big Jim Martin, Tom Murphy, Buzz Barr, Charlie Brown).

His next stop was KISN (Portland) for a short time, then back to KOL, then to KJR where Pat O'Day hired him away to do middays at KJR in 1967.

The World Famous Tom Murphy writes: "I used to listen to Buzz on KISN when I would visit Portland. I thought he sounded great and if an opening at KJR came up, Pat should grab him. He did."

O'Day says: "Lan Roberts, Mike Phillips, Jim Martin, Tom Murphy and Buzz Barr were all on my team at KJR. What a parade of talent we enjoyed and deserved our sky high rating because they were that good!"

Buzz was program director at KING radio during the station’s ill-fated foray into Top 40 (again head-to-head against O'Day) in the 1970s.

Stan Foreman writes: "Buzz and I were friends for 50 years as we both started our broadcasting careers as teenagers in the Grays Harbor area in 1960. Buzz was a natural entertainer and loved radio. He started in a small market but soon became a Program Director in Top 40 radio in the Northwest's two biggest markets, Seattle and Portland. He was my friend and he will be missed."

(Photo: Buzz Barr, singer Vicki Carr and record promoter Ron Saul, about 1966. Thanks, Bill Taylor)

After KING, Mr. Barr became sales manager for KYAK-KGOT in Anchorage, then bought a station in partnership in Kenai.

He told Blatherwatch last year: “I did really well but my partner took me down to a point where I came back to Aberdeen, opened an agency, was doing well until last year when I retired and hit 72 with 52 years in broadcasting, and miss it in a big way."

Dex Allen says: "A great kidder, ol' Buzz was. I asked him where KOL was, and he said, 'Harbor Island.' Imagine my excitement - palm trees, soft sand beaches… Wow! I was going to heaven on Harbor Island! The dream ended when I drove into Seattle and was directed across the bridge to West Seattle and Harbor Island. I never let Buzz live that down."

I enjoyed working with Buzz and followed him on the air at KJR. We didn't really hang out much but when we did I always enjoyed his company.

"Buzz was such a dedicated broadcaster," said O'Day. "It was his life and he did it
proud. Always reaching for the stars, he was show biz!"

Comments

[Brian Lord]

When did Charlie Brown die? I must have missed that.

[Dan in Auburn]

Same question here. I had not heard Charlie died.

[Old Radio Dude]

Don't tell CHARLIE he's gone because he doesn't know that yet.

[sparky]

A really really good show on radio stations in the early 50s and 60s...on ( gasp! Oh No!) PBS....

[Larry Snider]

It was my pleasure and good fortune to spend a great deal of time with Buzz while living in Hoquiam a couple years ago (while negotiating to buy his ad agency). We never came to a deal on the agency so I took a GM gig in Sitka, Ak....and Buzz ever since - up to just a month ago Buzz was always there on the other end of the phone with invaluable sales advice. He was a giant!

[Radio Queen]

Wow, Hood, quite the fact error on poor Charlie. What other "facts" are you getting wrong? Just wondering.

[blathering michael]

I make errors, I make corrections. And unlike you, Radio Queen, I sign my name to it all.

[Chucks]

You Got damned humans are all alike, making mistakes and all that.
Not a day goes by that I am not grateful that I don't do brain surgery. I'd have killed somebody by now. How 'bout you Queen? You perfect?

[blathering michael]

Actually Chucks, I do do brain surgury. It's not that hard. Then I make corrections... and sign my name, of course.

[WJE]

Thanks Michael for the tribute to Buzz. In addition to the aforementioned stations, he also had stints at KRKO (Everett) and KSND (Seattle).

Buzz had his shortcomings (as we all do), and by his own admission he was at times ill-tempered and not very likable, but in the agregate, he was a broadcaster's broadcaster.

[Radio Queen]

"I make errors, I make corrections. And unlike you, Radio Queen, I sign my name to it all.

The difference between you and me, Mr. Hood, is that you purport yourself to be a "journalist" by way of this blog. I think there's a general expectation that professional journalists do their fact-checking before they publish their stories and before readers find their mistakes. Just sayin'.

[sparky]

So what IS your real name RQ? That was his point...

[Eric D]

Actually, Michael ... I'd love to toss in a genuine compliment! Whether I agree with the content or not, it's well-written, well-presented, and the graphics are a ball (not sure where you get them or if you DO them yourself?) but it's very entertaining. Appreciate the effort behind all this!