ABOUT BOB BARRY, SR.

He painted pictures with his voice. For more than 50 years Bob Barry was a radio play-by-play announcer and television sports anchor. He was the voice of more major college sporting events on radio than anyone else in Oklahoma history. He was truly the “voice of bedlam” having called every bedlam football game between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University for a half century representing both the Sooners or Cowboys. It is a feat that will never happen again. Due to an accident in his early youth, Bob was put on a path to follow his passion for play- by-play. Later, Bob was chosen by iconic OU football Coach Bud Wilkinson for his first college announcing assignment. This oral history interview was conducted March 31, 2011 in Bob’s home in Norman. He died seven months later on October 29, 2011. He was 80 years old.

Bob Barry was named Oklahoma's Sportscaster of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, a record 15 times. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was recognized as a distinguished alumni by the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. OU recognized Bob Barry as a distinguished alumni in 2010.

This sports "legend" became part of the fabric of Oklahoma. We thank our Founding Sponsors for another Oklahoma oral history story on VoicesofOklahoma.com.

PRODUCTION

Interview with Bob Barry, Sr.

Program Credits:
Bob Barry, Sr. — Interviewee
John Erling — Interviewer
Mel Myers — Announcer

Honest Media
Mel Myers — Audio Editor
melmyershonestmedia@cox.net

Müllerhaus Legacy Website Team
http://www.MullerhausLegacy.com
Douglas Miller — Art Director
Mark DeMoss — Webmaster
Laura Hyde — Upload Coordinator
Anne Hall — Transcriptionist

Date Created: March 31, 2011

Date Published: November 8, 2011

Photo Credits: Bob Barry in golf cart at OU stadium by David Scroggins (18acrewood on Flickr.com)

Notes: Recorded by John Erling in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Digital Audio Sound Recording, Non-Music.

Tags:Al Rosen, Rogers Hornsby, Pearl Harbor, Bill Stern, Curt Gowdy, Lee Allan Smith, KOMA, Oklahoma University, Jack Ogle, Bud Wilkinson, Jack Armstrong, Bob Stoops, Howard Cosell, Jim Tatum, 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich, Germany, 1976 Games, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Tom Seaver, Coach Jimmy Johnson, Joe Castiglione, OSU Plane Crash, Bill Teegins

TRANSCRIPT

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FURTHER READING

Wikipedia: Bob Barry, Sr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barry,_Sr.