Bob Barry's Unearthed Interviews

Who is more Milwaukee than Lawrence Welk? With his accordion and orchestra, played polkas plus light and bubbly “champagne music,” which laid claim to the bubble machine. He played many dance dates in Milwaukee, including George Devine’s Million Dollar Ballroom. It was there, as a youngster, my parents took me to see him, and they bought me an accordion. That didn’t last long, as I preferred to play baseball instead of playing the squeeze box. Welk recorded some of his records in Grafton, Wisconsin. Today those recordings are rare and valuable. Welk started out in radio and later his very popular “Lawrence Welk Show.” He mentions the threat of being canceled, but that never happened, and reruns are seen today on local TV. He had several hits including “Calcutta,” which was a number one record in 1961. Welk was inducted into the International Polka Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He even appeared on Saturday Night Live. You might remember when Stan Freberg impersonated him in a recording called “Wunnerful Wunnerful.” Welk was not happy with Freberg’s mimic but ended up using it for the title of his book.

I’m sure that the older podcasters in the audience watched the very popular TV series “Dallas” in the 1980s. Morgan Brittany played Katherine Wentworth, the scheming half-sister of Pam Ewing and Cliff Barnes. In the 1987 season finale she drove a car that stuck Bobby Ewing, resulting in both of their deaths. Morgan worked with many super stars during her career. She will talk about that, also her husband’s very dangerous job in films and some personal information the ladies will love.

Barbara Mandrell at one time, was considered one of the most successful country singers and all-around entertainers, with six number one singles and 25 top ten singles on the Billboard Country charts.  Barbara also had her own primetime TV show and appeared in “Touched by an Angel,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” and “Baywatch.”  Her hit records included: “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” Barbara is very talented, playing several instruments. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Mandrell has been only one of a few women to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year award twice, alongside Taylor Swift. In 1979 she crossed over into the Top 40 pop charts with “If Loving You is Wrong, I Don’t Want to be Right.”

The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, 109 years ago this month. We spoke with one of the survivors of this tragedy. In 1911, Marshall Drew had sailed with his aunt and uncle on the RMS Olympic to visit family in England. The voyage home began in Southampton on April 10, 1912, aboard the maiden voyage of the Olympics’ sister ship, the Titanic. Marshall was very generous with his time and seemed pleased to tell his story.

Howard Cosell had a boisterous personality. He once said, “I’ve been accused of being arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, a showoff…and of course I am.” He was sarcastically nicknamed “Humble Howard.” In one of his sports commentaries, he suggested that Terry Bradshaw did not have the intelligence to win in the league. But in 1993, TV Guide named Cosell “The Best All-Time Sportscaster.” Howard called many of Muhammad Ali’s boxing matches. His most famous championship fight call was the George Forman-Joe Frazier fight in Kingston, Jamaica. That’s when Cosell yelled “Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier.” You may remember on Monday Night Football, Dec. 8, 1980, Cosell announced the death of John Lennon. In this podcast he answers his critics and suggests that Al McGuire and other coaches had an unfair means of getting their star players. Of course, I gave McGuire a chance to answer that accusation.

In case you don’t know who, Evel Knievel is, let me tell you. This daredevil attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. His most famous stunt was attempting to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He tried to jump across the Snake River Canyon in Idaho Falls using a rocket-powered cycle. He failed, due to a parachute malfunction, but only suffered minor injuries. He later jumped 19 cars with his Harley-Davidson XR-750 (pictured) at the Ontario Motor Speedway in California. That historic cycle is in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Needless to say, Knievel had trouble getting insurance. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of the most bones broken in a lifetime, more than 433 bone fractures. George Hamilton portrayed him in the film “Evel Knievel.” In this podcast he’ll tell you how he got his name and his philosophy in dealing with this dangerous sport.

You gotta be kidding! Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki on the “Unearthed Podcast?” Today we take a trip down memory lane and explore a unique love story. This singer and ukulele player had a top 20 hit on the Billboard charts. “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” sung in a falsetto voice. He learned to play the ukelele left-handed, using a method book and uke endorsed by Arthur Godfrey. Tiny started singing in a high voice when he heard Rudy Vallee sing in falsetto. He appeared on the premiere episode of Rowan and Martin’s “Laugh-In.” Tim married Miss Vicki on the “Tonight Show,” with 40 million people watching. It was one of the most memorable moments in television history, which he will discuss.  Miss Vicki was 17-years-old when she married Tiny Tim. He was twice her age. Soon they ended up living apart and divorced after eight years. Here she talks about her controversial photo shoot in Qui magazine, her marriage to Tiny Tim and a proposal from the WOKY news and program directors.

Once again, it’s time for the stars to shine at the Academy Awards. Edith Head was an American costume designer who won eight Oscars for Best Costume Design. And nominated for 35 Oscars, she became the most awarded woman in the Academy’s history. She is considered to be one of the greatest costume designers in movie history. She designed Grace Kelly’s dress for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” the sarong dress for Dorothy Lamour in “The Hurricane,” and she received her final Oscar for work on “The Sting” with Paul Neuman and Robert Redford. She also worked in television, designing Endora’s clothing on “Bewitched.” She designed clothes for men too, including five films for John Wayne, Steve Martin in “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and Elvis in “Blue Hawaii.”

This guy has done it all. Actor, filmmaker, businessman and he’s even been involved with politics. But Arnold Schwarzenegger is best known as body builder and action movie actor. He was Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia seven times. His on-screen appearances included “Conan the Barbarian,” “Total Recall,” “Predator,”  “Twins,” and “Running Man.” “Terminator 2-Judgment Day” was the highest-grossing film of 1991. Arnold was governor of California from 2003 to 2011. In this podcast we talk about body building, drugs, and a most unusual experience.

This R&B singer was raised in Chicago, in the Cabrini-Green housing projects. He sang in the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers with Curtis Mayfield. Jerry Butler and Mayfield joined a group which later became the “Impressions.” A couple years later he left the group for a solo career. Jerry was a soul singer, musician, producer, and politician. He had over 55 Billboard Pop and R&B hits. Maybe you remember Tony Orlando and Dawn reviving his hit “He Don’t Love You Like I Love You.” This was a very short interview and I don’t remember why. Apparently, he called and I didn’t have much time left in the show. We did have time to talk about one of his hits that he was kidded about by many DJs around the country. Jerry is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Impressions. In my opinion, he should be in there as a solo artist.

On holidays my producers would often try to find interviews that would tie in with the special day. This particular Valentine’s Day they found a woman who would be without her lover on that day. She was fun and her boyfriend told me that she had a song that she liked and wanted me to play it for her. I admit that she had a weird taste for music. The second call was to a chapel in Loveland, Colorado. Many people from all over go there to get married on Valentine’s Day.

Many will remember Patty Duke, playing the part of Helen Keller in the movie “The Miracle Worker,” for which she received an Oscar. At the time, Patty was 16 and the youngest person to have received an Academy Award for Supporting Actress. But she also won two Golden Globe awards and three Emmys. And Patty had a top 10 hit on the Billboard charts. If you were around in the 60s, you probably watched the “Patty Duke Show” and who could forget Neely O’Hara in the “Valley of the Dolls?” Her part in this movie, as an alcoholic, drug-addicted singing star, almost ruined her career. The critics and audiences had a hard time accepting this all-American teenager playing a very adult role.

When we said we called the world, we called the world, even the guy who sold chickens for a living, and a good living I might add. By the way, did you know that the “Chicken Dance” was made popular was Bob Kames? He owned Kames Wonderful World of Music in Milwaukee. Bob called me and said that this song was going to become a popular record. I listened and disagreed. But after we played it on the air, the response was positive and it became a hit and a popular dance. Colonel Harland Sanders was best known for founding the fast-food chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken.  He did it at age 65, using his $105 monthly Social Security check. Why is he called colonel? Sanders falsified his birth date to enlist in the U.S. Army, serving in Cuba. He received an honorary discharge and the Kentucky governor commissioned him an honorary colonel. He had an inspiring success story, which he will tell in this podcast.

“Veeeeery interesting.” That line made a lot of money for Arte Johnson. It was said by his character “Wolfgang,” the cigarette smoking German soldier hidden behind some tall weeds on “Rowen and Martin’s popular TV show, “Laugh-In.” He also played the part of “Tyrone F. Horneigh,” the white haired dirty old man in a trench coat, who tried seduce Gladys, the spinster, on a park bench. She would hit him with her purse causing him to fall off the bench. He kids about his brother being kicked out of many schools, but he and his talented writer brother won several Emmy awards while working on “Laugh-in.”  You’ll recognize some of the other programs Artie appeared on during his long career. At the end of this podcast you’ll hear a sample of some of his “Laugh-In” characters. (Laugh-In premiered Jan. 22, 1968.)

Today we talk with a multi-talented personality. Shari Lewis was a Peabody-winning ventriloquist, puppeteer, television host, singer, dancer, actress, and author. Remember her sock puppet Lamb Chop, a sock with eyes. She originally designed the little character for the Captain Kangaroo Show. Her puppets first got attention on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts TV show, where she won first prize.  Her Shari Lewis program replaced the Howdy Doody Show and ran for three years. Shari also wrote many books for children. She and Lamb Chop also did some singing.

Sometimes, stuff happens. And it did with this interview featuring Roger McGuinn. The end of our conversation suddenly disappeared. But I like the Byrds, so I didn’t want to ignore them just because a few minutes were gone. Hope you’ll enjoy the remains. McGuinn was best known as the leader of the popular folk/rock group. Roger is from Chicago. He became interested in music after hearing Elvis sing “Heartbreak Hotel.” His parents bought him a guitar and he started to imitate Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and the Everly Brothers. He performed in coffee houses doing folk music, and was hired by the Chad Mitchell Trio, Judy Collins, and the Limeliters. Bobby Darin had him playing guitar, singing backup and writing songs. He bought a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar after seeing George Harrison playing it in the film “A Hard Day’s Night.” At the Troubadour Nightclub in L.A., Roger was doing Beatles songs in his act. He caught the attention of another Beatle fan Gene Clark. Together they formed the Byrds. He’ll mention their breakup. In the year 2000, McGuinn testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about artists not receiving royalties. The Byrds did not received any royalties for “Mr. Tamourine Man” and “Turn, Turn, Turn” they only received advances which amounted to a few thousand dollars for each band member.

This Canadian actor was most famous for his role as Montgomery Scott (Scotty), the chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the television and film series “Star Trek.” He did appear in other TV shows and movies, but was limited due to being typecast. James Doohan in real life was with a Canadian infantry division that landed at Juno Beach on D-Day. He was accidentally hit by six rounds of fire from the gun of a Canadian sentry. A bullet to his chest was stopped by a cigarette case given to him by his brother. One bullet hit his right middle finger, which had to be amputated. He would conceal that hand in the movies, sometimes using a flesh-colored glove. Doohan was part of a radio group, “The Neighborhood Playhouse” which included Leslie Nielsen and Tony Randall. Did James use an accent when he played Scotty? He’ll answer that question. Because of the engineer character he played on “Star Trek,” many students pursued careers in engineering. The Milwaukee School of Engineering presented Doohan with an honorary degree in engineering.

Larry King was a trailblazer in the field of radio and TV broadcasting, paving the way for future talk show hosts and journalists. Over the course of his career, on “Larry King Live,” he conducted more than 50,000 interviews with a wide range of personalities, from world leaders and celebrities to everyday individuals with extraordinary stories, making him one of the most recognized and respected interviewers in the industry. His show aired for 25 years and became one of CNN’s most successful programs. Larry had conversations with every U.S. president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama as well as international leaders like Vladmir Putin and Nelson Mandela. Segments of his interviews still pop up on various programs and in movies.

It was the holiday season and I’ve got the idea that the Sesame Street characters would make a good addition to the festivities. So, I attempted to call the Cookie Monster, Big Bird and the Sesame gang, or Muppets as you might call them. As luck would have it, the man who answered the phone was Caroll Spinney, the voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Caroll was on Sesame Street for 49 years, retiring in 2018. He was earning over $300,000 at that time. To this day, I’m not sure if Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, was in the office with Spinney.  But Kermit the Frog made a mysterious appearance on the show. By the way, Caroll got his name because he was born the day after Christmas. 

Do you receive a lot of solicitations to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital? The guy responsible for this wonderful charity is Danny Thomas. He dedicated his life to fund raising for the hospital. Danny was a singer, actor, comedian, and producer. He starred in his own show and appeared on many other talk, comedy, and variety programs throughout his long career. Most notably, “The Danny Thomas Show” and “Make Room for Daddy.” In radio he played Amos on “The Bickersons” and was Jerry Dingle the postman on “The Baby Snooks Show.”  He starred in the “Jazz Singer” with Peggy Lee, “Call Me Mister” with Betty Grable and “I’ll See You in My Dreams” with Doris Day. Thomas produced many shows including “The Andy Griffith Show” and he discovered Mary Tyler Moore for “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” His daughter, Marlo Thomas, was the star of the sitcom “That Girl” and has won three primetime Emmys. President Ronald Reagan awarded Danny the Congressional Gold Medal. He’ll explain how St. Jude’s started.