Barry is a semi-retired freelance writer and editor. He calls himself a “newspaper lifer.” He started out reporting at the South Middlesex Daily News in Framingham. Then he went on to successful stints at the Lawrence (MA) Eagle-Tribune and the Lowell (MA) Sun, where he served as city editor. In the latter part of his career, he had extended positions as copy editor at the Arizona Republic (16 years) and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (14+ years).
Barry has warm reflections on his newspaper career, describing his numerous colleagues over the years as: “… great peers, great reporters, and lifetime friends … who were the most talented, most fun and most dedicated …” professionals you could ever imagine.
After meeting his future wife, Virginia, in 1996 (thanks to a two-week fellowship for business reporters and editors at the University of Nevada), he made the decision not long thereafter to join her in St. Louis, where they were soon married. Following his long journalistic tenure at the Post-Dispatch, Barry says: “We moved to Chicago to be with my stepdaughter Julie and her family, which now numbers two children. We also have two grandkids via Virginia’s daughter Liz in Seattle, and my son Don’s two children (18 and 15 years old) in Carver, MA. For anyone who may remember toddler Don being the life of NU parties at our apartment, he will turn 53 in July!”
Barry also wrote about music throughout his newspaper career. It all began on co-op at the Boston Globe where he reviewed concerts by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chuck Berry, and the Association, among many others. On co-op at the Hartford Courant he also got to hang backstage with the Beach Boys, Judy Collins and Jefferson Airplane.
Over the years, he’s had the privilege of interviewing many other artists too numerous to mention, including: Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Bob Seger, John Mayall, John Hiatt, Ricky Skaggs, Rosanne Cash, Dave (the Kinks) Davies, Aaron Neville, Dwight Yoakam and Joe Walsh.
Barry beamingly says: “I had the best time ever, marrying my love of music with my love of writing and sharing.”
Barry Gilbert is a 1972 graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in Liberal Arts.