Bob Barry's Unearthed Interviews

Today we dive into the story behind Valentine’s Day, a holiday that’s all about love, chocolate, and the annual challenge of finding a restaurant reservation. Where did this warm and fuzzy lovefest originate? Was it the brainchild of greeting card companies to boost sales? Or does it have roots deeper than a box of assorted chocolates? Our guest will unravel the sweet and surprising story of Valentine’s Day.

When you think of Paul Winchell, you think of a ventriloquist, comedian, and actor. But, did you know that Paul invented the mechanical artificial heart? He hosted the Paul Winchell show on TV and appeared on “The Brady Bunch,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” He was the voice of many characters on TV cartoons, including Tigger for which he won a Grammy for his performance in “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.” His famous dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff are in the Smithsonian Institution. In school his art teacher allowed him to receive credit for creating a ventriloquist’s dummy and that got him started on his career at age 14.

In December 1974 we spent a couple of minutes on the phone with Byron MacGregor. He was a Canadian radio-TV newsman. This year he received a Legends Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. In 1973 Byron read a Toronto newspaper editorial written by Gordon Sinclair. He read the article on the air and got such a tremendous response that he decided to make a recording of the piece. The record “Americans” was voiced by MacGregor and backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with their version of “America the Beautiful.” It was a hit on the Billboard charts and sold nearly 4 million copies. All of the proceeds were donated to the Red Cross. You’ll hear that record at the end of this conversation.

Pat Boone is a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. He was married to country singer Red Foley’s daughter, Shirley. He hosted 115 episodes of The Pat Boone – Chevy Showroom and appeared in 15 movies. One of his four daughters is Debby Boone. She had a number one record in 1977, “You Light Up My Life.” Pat held the record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the Billboard charts. In the 1950s Billboard magazine said that he was the only entertainer that could compete in popularity with Elvis Presley. Pat had 18 top ten records and six of those went to number one.

Imagine growing up in a house so infamous it inspired a horror franchise. Well, our guest on the podcast today did just that, living in the Amityville house in Long Island, New York from ages 11 to 16. Later the house became the setting of “The Amityville Horror.” But don’t worry, she’s here to share stories that are more delightful than frightful. You’ve seen her as Carlie Kirkland, the savvy insurance investigator on “Banacek,” and as Evelyn Stratton, Ricky Schroder’s sophisticated mother on “Silver Spoons.” She was in “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers, “The Golden Girls” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.” We’re talking about the incredibly talented Christine Belford.