Barbara Barri

I was born at a very early age, something which I eventually outgrew (many years later).  The place of this and many other unevents was Southampton, Long Island (population 5,000, not exactly a thriving Mecca).  Downtown is still comprised of two blocks, Main Street and Jobs Lane (where you can still see the pillory and stockade) not your typical upbringing for a little Italian girl from New York.  After I graduated from Southampton High then they put in the 9 million dollar planetarium.

Having been called Sara Heartburn most of my life by my family an acting career seemed to be a natural, so I packed up my snow boots and went upstate to Onondaga College to Major in Drama and Minor in Voice and Speech.  Onondaga is in Syracuse, NY, where the seasons are July, August and winter (the sun never shines).  I wanted to thaw out so I once again packed up and moved but this time I was a little smarter and went to the sunshine state.

Cape Canaveral is where I landed and launched my radio career at CK-101 (WCKS Cocoa Beach).  When John Lander offered me a job at WLOF I couldn't resist the thought of being closer to Goofy, so I packed up once again and moved, this time to Orlando.

When WLEE offered me a gig (Papa John had left LOF) I had never been to Richmond, Va. and that in itself was enough to make me pack up and move once again.

Having been the first woman at either station (WLEE was no exception) I was still a novelty and the station across town told its listeners I looked like Don Knotts in drag (boy did I have to make a lot of public appearances that year).  But West was where I really wanted to be, so I packed up and moved once again.

  Los Angeles is where I ended up this time.  The next 15 years saw 2 locations, 3 sets of call letters, 3 corporate owners, 4 formats, 5 general managers, 11 program directors (I stopped counting the morning men) 3 shifts and I never changed jobs.  I did weekends and swings for 4 years, 7 to midnight for 4 years and middays for 7 years at KZLA.

I love sitting alone in a room, playing music and talking out loud to myself for 4 or 5 hours every day.  (I think I may be spending too much time alone).   But radio seems to be good therapy for me.

On Air Experience:  Radio DJ/Announcer

CRN/Cable Radio Network - Talk Show Host

KZLA Los Angeles - Middays (15 years) (Country)

WLEE Richmond, Va. (Rock)

WLOF Orlando, Fla. (Rock)

CK-101 WCKS Cocoa Beach, Fla. (Rock)

"Country Line USA" guest host for Leeza Gibbons

Television

CBS-Music City News Awards

KCOP-Ch.13 (Synd.) Host "Top 40 Videos"

KTTV-Ch.11 (Synd.) Announcer "Singles Magazine"

KCET-Ch.28  Pledge Drive

Master of Ceremonies

Universal Ampitheatre

The Forum

Irvine Meadows

The Greek Theatre

The Pacific Ampitheatre

The Hollywood Bowl

Training

Voice Over & Characterization - Daws Butler

Singing (Contralto) - Wenndy McKenzie

Vocal Workshop/Showcase - Christopher Robin

Voice Over Workshop - Dick McGarvin

"The Puppet Works" - Greg Williams

Cameraman & Director - CKS-TV

Drama Major/Voice & Speech Minor - Onondaga College - Syracuse

Special Skills

Character Voices

Interviewing

Engineering

Various Sports

Charity Events

Barbara Barri is an AFTRA/SAG member