Burl Featured In Old News Article

Steve found this day in the life of Burl Barer in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin archives.

Burl At KOL

 

QZVX.com, formerly known as the Puget Sound Media blog and before that Sea Tac Media blog, featured a Burl Barer aircheck from his days at KOL.  Either in the late 1960s or early 1970s. 

To listen click here. 

Dead By Sunset--A Review

Dead By Sunset was recommended by my cousin, Burl, telling me the victim was a partner in his brother Stan's law firm.  

The book was written by the late Ann Rule, a true crime author and resident of the Seattle area.  It is a page turner. A 400 plus page book that is almost impossible to put down. 

It tells the story of the murder of Cheryl Keeton.  She was found in a van on the Sunset Highway in Portland.  Keeton worked at the Portland branch office of Garvey, Shubert, and Barer (Now, Foster Garvey).  Though she was of humble beginnings, she was a brilliant attorney.

Her husband, Brad Cunningham, was equally brilliant.  As the couple was going through a very nasty divorce, Cunningham is an immediate suspect.  However, because, he was able to put on a calm demeanor and an arresting (no pun intended) charm, and his propensity to move to different locations, it took years before there could even be an arrest, let alone a conviction.  

Cunningham had multiple marriages and a number of children, but it was the three sons of Cheryl Keeton that he really became the subject of a custody fight.  

The book was eventually adapted to a mini-series.  

The action takes place in the 80s and 90s, but except for the lack of smart phones and computers, it is still readable today. 

Burl Barer From Decades Ago.

Cousin Burl Barer appeared in this ad, from his days at Seattle rock station KOL.  Probably from the late 1960s or early 70s. Burl is on the right side. Thank you to Randy from Facebook. 
 

Burl Barer Interviews Mind Development Partner

 In a blast from the past, on his True Crime Uncencored podcast, Burl Barer interviews his old partner from his days teaching for Mind Development, Alex Merklinger. 

Burl would tour the area with classes on stretching the human mind, back in the early 70s.  At the time, I lived in Walla Walla. 

Burl would conduct classes at random times at the Black Angus, a sparkling new addition at the time of the Marcus Whitman Hotel. 

The weekend classes would cost $150, with moneyback guarantee, but as a family member, I got to take them for free. 

Crazy Comedian Gallagher Dies

 He had a crazy act, which viewers could watch on Showtime, today (November 11th, 2022) it's reports that Gallagher is dead at 76.  He was famous for his "sledge-a-matic" where he smashed vegetables with a sledgehammer.  I think at one point, as I remember, something that he said or did in an act, got him in trouble, but don't remember what it was. 

One thing that I remember is that when Burl worked at B. Barer And Sons, he had a conversation on the phone with the comedian. Although Burl was in Walla Walla at the time, he was still doing radio advertising and promotions.  

Gallagher's death was attributed to organ failure after a series of heart attacks. 

UB Columnist Drops Names Of Celebrities With Walla Walla Ties

 A big thank you to retired Union-Bulletin columnist Annie Charnley Eveland for somehow working me, the blog, and my Old Walla Walla Radio Group facebook page along with famous Walla Wallans and Whitman graduates like Adam West and Kirby Grant (pictured in character, above), who played the 1950s action TV character, Sky King into her latest column. 

Also mentioned in the article was Patrick Page, who is married to the effervescent TV host, Paige Davis, A Team TV star, Dirk Benedict and some cousins that I admire, Burl Barer, Stan Barer, Jan Barer Curran, Lee Goldberg, and Tod Goldberg.  

Lee and Tod did not grow up in Walla Walla but were annual summer visitors in their childhood. 

You can the article by clicking here.

Celebrating 2

All Barers born and raised in Walla Walla. With my brothers and Cousin Burl.

I'm with cousins, Linda, Tod, and Karen.  All three, nieces and nephew of Stan, live in California.  Their brother, Lee, took the picture.

We Love It In Seattle

Cousin Burl appears in this at about 1 minute and 39 seconds into the video, however, I would have posted this anyway.  

In a radio promotion, this parody of a Billy Joel song lists all the great things about Seattle. 

Song is a little outdated, I didn't see any mention of Starbucks or Amazon and the city's image, sadly, has gotten a little tarnished, but this song should help make you feel good. 

Stan Barer Dies

 We lost Stan Monday night.  He was 82.   He had been fighting cancer for well over a decade, seemingly winning every battle.  The last couple years were very tough as he lost his wife, Alta to cancer in 2019 and son, Aaron in 2020.

Stan was my cousin, my grandfather and his father were brothers.  Stan was brother to Burl and Jan.  We all grew up in Walla Walla.  Stan attended Green Park School and graduated from Walla Walla High School (Wa-Hi).

Stan left Walla Walla to go to the University of Washington.  After finishing law school, he joined the staff of Senator Warren Magnuson.  After playing a big part in writing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he would go on to become the senator's administrative assistant.  

Over lunch many years ago, Stan told me how he felt there was underlying discrimination growing up as he felt that many clubs had not picked him for membership because of his Jewish faith.  That apparently galvanized his commitment to civil rights. 

Stan became a Washington insider.  He was in the "kitchen cabinet" of several presidents.  He played a part in an historic trade deal with China.  He was written up in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin as an "expert on export".

Stan would go on to practice law in Seattle for several years in a huge firm known as Garvey, Shubert, And Barer.  He would also became part of the ownership group of Saltchuk Resources, which ran several local shipping companies including Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Foss 

With his wife, Alta, Stan became an active donor in the arts community, as well as many charity causes.  His donation to the University Of Washington allowed more students from around the world to attend. 

Stan also served on the University Of Washington Board Of Regents.  

Just last September, it was announced that Stan had won the Gates Volunteer Service Award.  

It seems silly, but one of my favorite memories of Stan was when we were going out for dinner with his mom, my Aunt Dorothy.  Stan and Alta had come to meet my then fiance, now my wife.  Stan and I were sitting on the couch dipping crackers into chopped liver at my aunt's apartment. On a more serious note, he was a rock of comfort in the deaths of both of my parents.  

A private service will be held this week with Stan's immediate family.  A celebration of life for Stan's large circle of family and friends will be announced at a later date

Stan will really be missed.

Happy Birthday, Burl!

Cousin Burl Barer, almost 10 years, my senior, turns 74 today!

Burl Barer From Early 1970s

 

The Seattle Times archives are now available to subscribers, so since a few of my relatives have figured prominently in Seattle history, I was able to do a little bit of time travel.  

Many of these are difficult to read.  

Here is part of a feature on my cousin Burl, who worked the nightshift, at the time, for KOL.   The article does not transfer well, so I only took the headline and picture. 

WildBlue Author Burl Barer The Story Behind BETRAYAL IN BLUE

Burl Barer advertises his book, Betrayal In Blue.

Burl Barer Interviewed On Podcast

Randy Roadz · The Radio Conference Call with Burl Barer

Burl Barer, who made a name for himself in Seattle radio, working at KJR and KOL, and whom I grew up with in Walla Walla, is interviewed for a Seattle radio history podcast, known as Radio Conference Call, while doing his own True Crime Uncensored internet radio program.  Paul Thompson is the interviewer.  I can tell from the interview that Thompson did his homework. 

Thank you to Randy Roadz, who tagged me with this on Facebook with the interview and Puget Sound Media.  

Burl is asked about his Walla Walla radio days, as well as his experiences in Seattle.  It is worth a listen.

 

Lee Goldberg Returns To True Crime Uncensored

Burl frequently interviews family members on his show/podcast True Crime Uncensored.  On this recent episode, he welcomes back his nephew, also my cousin, writer Lee Goldberg.   They discuss Goldberg's TV writing, including the Show Monk. 

Truth Meets Fiction As Gangsterland Author Meets Rabbi With Criminal Past On True Crime Uncensored

True Crime Uncensored Host Burl Barer interviews his nephew (my cousin) Tod Goldberg (pictured below) and LA Rabbi Mark Borovitz (pictured above).  

Goldberg has written a series of books about a gangster who goes in hiding as a rabbi.  Borovitz, actually was a mobster who became a real rabbi.  

This is a very compelling podcast.  

You can listen to the podcast by clicking the arrow above.

True Crime Uncensored--Burl's Daughter Speaks About Walla Walla Murders

Burl does this edition of True Crime Uncensored from Pioneer Square in Seattle, along with his daughter, Anea.  We learn that a former roommate of Anea's was sadly murdered in Walla Walla.  Also an undate on the murder of an elderly woman that made headline in the mid 1980s.  Hit the arrow on the above podcast for the story.

Pat O'Day Remembered.

I have spoken a lot about Pat O'Day in this blog.  I was fortunate to work for him.  I remember the excitement of working at a Seattle station.  It was not long after college and I was working for my father, at the same time, my cousin, Burl was working with me in that business in Walla Walla.  Burl was working weekends in Seattle at KYYX, flying back and forth.  Burl had told me about an entry level job at the station, which was owned by Pat.  I went to interview in the Spring, not hearing back from them.  That is until one August day, Burl came out and said, Mike, Elvin (the station manager) is on the phone.  There was a job open at KYYX if I could come up.   Having always wanted to live in Seattle, I enthusiastically accepted.  It was there, that I learned about how big Pat O'Day was.

I have been friends  with Pat's son Garry ever since we worked at the station.  I have been to the family ranch in the San Juan Islands a couple of times.  

Burl and Pat worked together at KJR   and formed a great friendship.  

With KJR bringing such a high share of the radio market, Pat was able to bring many Seattle acts to the national scene.    Pat became a close friend and confident of Seattle based Rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix (pictured with Pat below).  I was touched be hearing about how when Hendrix died in England, O'Day found there were no plans to bring his body back to the States. The record execs had bailed on him and his family couldn't afford to.  O'Day flew to England and paid to have Hendrix's body returned.

Pat was recently famous as the voice of Schick Shadel, the alcohol and substance abuse clinic. 

He was very present on Facebook.  He praised me for a video I posted a few years ago, thanking me for keeping memories alive.  

In a status update about a year ago, he chastised the mayor of Seattle and the city council, as he felt that the city government was letting the homeless problem get out of hand.    

Pat had a need for speed and loved Seafair, the Seattle Summer celebration.  He was the voice of unlimited hydroplane racing in Seattle for over 4 decades. Pat died two days after what would have been the Seafair unlimited hydroplane race.  This year's Seafair was cancelled because of the Corona virus. 

Burl Barer Mentions This Blogger In Podcast

Ok, I just blogged about him three days ago, but when I read that his podcast was going to be his story about how he broke in radio, I listened to see if he would speak about anyone that I am familiar with. As it turned out, he mentioned someone that I was very familiar with, Me.  

If you click here, you will hear about me about 5 minutes in.  

Puget Sound Media, one of the area's best radio-TV blogs, does a recap of the pod, along with a sound bite, which you can see and listen to by clicking here.   Thank you to Puget Sound Media for this picture. 

Burl Barer Rockin' In The 60s

Puget Sound Media found a great cut of Burl Barer, working in Seattle at the tender age of 22.  He was at KOL at the time and suffering a cold over Labor Day weekend.   The date was listed as September 4th, 1969.  You can hear it by clicking here.