Buck barry
Encyclopedia
Buck Joseph Barry, born Chester Burry (February 12, 1917, Saint Joseph, Missouri
- December 4, 1997, El Paso
) was an American actor and radio and television personality. In his early career, Barry appeared in small roles in several movies starring Gene Autry
, and was a featured performer in a touring Wild West Show
. He gained fame as a host for a live Saturday morning and daily afternoon children's television show. Both were broadcast on television station WOOD-TV
, the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, MI.
Barry was also well known to early rising factory workers in the Grand Rapids area, with his morning radio show
on WOOD am 1300, which was simulcast on WOOD FM at 105.7. Barry had an encyclopedic knowledge of cowboy and American Indian lore. He started his morning show
with spirited yodeling cowboy song
which he accompanied with an acoustic guitar
. Barry shared stories of American Indian lore and cowboy legends, interspersed with recorded music.
In his radio broadcasts, he spoke to listeners as if he were sitting at their kitchen tables. He often shared postcards from listeners on vacation, and saluted local listeners' birthdays and anniversaries. His programs were flexible rather than adhering to a strict format.
On Television, he hosted the Buckaroo Rodeo. Locally, he was as popular as Buffalo Bob or Captain Kangaroo
. He co-hosted the Monday through Friday TV broadcasts with Don Melvoin as Fireman Freddie. In time, Don stepped away from his role, and Barry became the Monday through Friday host.
During the Buckaroo Rodeo days, an audience of boys and girls sat in bleachers on the stage to watch Popeye
cartoons and 3 Stooges
shorts. Barry occasionally sang a cowboy song, did a rope or whip trick, or twirled his twin six guns. The sponsors provided candy, potato chip
s, and other snacks. Among gifts he received for being on the show were brass statuettes of Thunder, his horse.
For a little while during the 1960s, Barry's show expanded to an hour on Saturday mornings on WOOD-TV 8, and featured a wider range of entertainment and games. The programs, with the pistol-packing cowboy and his white horse Thunder, ran for more than a decade from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. The original Thunder died in a stable fire at some point during the show's run. Barry bought another horse, Thunder II, with audience donations.
Barry hosted the high-rated afternoon Popeye Theater (the original name of the show was the Buckaroo Rodeo), which featured repeated airings of "The Three Stooges," and were often followed by admonitions from Barry, warning his children viewers not to try a particular dangerous Stooges stunt, such as hitting someone in the head with a hammer.
Throughout the 1960s, Buck Barry's big Buick station wagon was well known among children in West Michigan. Gold in color, the Buick had fake wood sides with "BUCK BARRY" written in large cursive on both sides using real rope. The hood was adorned by a large pair of forward-pointing Texas longhorns.
Part of the Barry show was a section called "Can Buck Do It?" where Barry attempted various feats, such as tearing a telephone book
in half. Barry was known for his on-air flubs, stuttering, and malapropisms, often hopelessly but humorously mangling commercials for such long-time sponsors as BeMo Potato Chips.
During his television years in Michigan, Barry was known for visiting and performing for children in local hospitals. Barry retired in the early 1970s to El Paso, Texas
, where he lived for 25 years, and continued to perform occasionally. He died in 1997, preceded by his wife, Violet.
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
- December 4, 1997, El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
) was an American actor and radio and television personality. In his early career, Barry appeared in small roles in several movies starring Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, and was a featured performer in a touring Wild West Show
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
. He gained fame as a host for a live Saturday morning and daily afternoon children's television show. Both were broadcast on television station WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
, the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids, MI.
Barry was also well known to early rising factory workers in the Grand Rapids area, with his morning radio show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
on WOOD am 1300, which was simulcast on WOOD FM at 105.7. Barry had an encyclopedic knowledge of cowboy and American Indian lore. He started his morning show
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
with spirited yodeling cowboy song
Western music (North America)
Western music originated as a form of American folk music. Originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of...
which he accompanied with an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. Barry shared stories of American Indian lore and cowboy legends, interspersed with recorded music.
In his radio broadcasts, he spoke to listeners as if he were sitting at their kitchen tables. He often shared postcards from listeners on vacation, and saluted local listeners' birthdays and anniversaries. His programs were flexible rather than adhering to a strict format.
On Television, he hosted the Buckaroo Rodeo. Locally, he was as popular as Buffalo Bob or Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
. He co-hosted the Monday through Friday TV broadcasts with Don Melvoin as Fireman Freddie. In time, Don stepped away from his role, and Barry became the Monday through Friday host.
During the Buckaroo Rodeo days, an audience of boys and girls sat in bleachers on the stage to watch Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
cartoons and 3 Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
shorts. Barry occasionally sang a cowboy song, did a rope or whip trick, or twirled his twin six guns. The sponsors provided candy, potato chip
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
s, and other snacks. Among gifts he received for being on the show were brass statuettes of Thunder, his horse.
For a little while during the 1960s, Barry's show expanded to an hour on Saturday mornings on WOOD-TV 8, and featured a wider range of entertainment and games. The programs, with the pistol-packing cowboy and his white horse Thunder, ran for more than a decade from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. The original Thunder died in a stable fire at some point during the show's run. Barry bought another horse, Thunder II, with audience donations.
Barry hosted the high-rated afternoon Popeye Theater (the original name of the show was the Buckaroo Rodeo), which featured repeated airings of "The Three Stooges," and were often followed by admonitions from Barry, warning his children viewers not to try a particular dangerous Stooges stunt, such as hitting someone in the head with a hammer.
Throughout the 1960s, Buck Barry's big Buick station wagon was well known among children in West Michigan. Gold in color, the Buick had fake wood sides with "BUCK BARRY" written in large cursive on both sides using real rope. The hood was adorned by a large pair of forward-pointing Texas longhorns.
Part of the Barry show was a section called "Can Buck Do It?" where Barry attempted various feats, such as tearing a telephone book
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
in half. Barry was known for his on-air flubs, stuttering, and malapropisms, often hopelessly but humorously mangling commercials for such long-time sponsors as BeMo Potato Chips.
During his television years in Michigan, Barry was known for visiting and performing for children in local hospitals. Barry retired in the early 1970s to El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, where he lived for 25 years, and continued to perform occasionally. He died in 1997, preceded by his wife, Violet.