Barry Fey – the Great Concert Promoter – Has Died
I never would have worked at Caribou if it hadn’t been for Barry Fey. He had invited Jimmy Guercio to watch Tommy Bolin perform, and the group I was associated with at the time, Gerard, was asked to perform also. That’s when Jimmy decided to sign Gerard to Caribou Records, and the rest – as they say – is history.
But my “relationship” with Barry Fey goes back to college days. We were huge fans of The Doors, and the story goes that he had them booked at the DU field house, but DU changed their mind and wouldn’t allow them to appear there because of the controversy surrounding Jim Morrison at the time. So The Family Dog was born.
Barry Fey and The Family Dog
After seeing The Doors at the Family Dog, I and my friends saw almost every major act, up and coming artists, and local bands you can name at the Family Dog. We sat on the floor within a few feet of Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Mobi Grape, The Buffalo Springfield, The Jefferson Airplane, The Box Tops, and many more of the late 60’s groups.
When Barry held the Denver Pop Festival at Mile High, myself, my brother Greg, and several of our friends were working in Central City. We drove down every day to attend those unforgettable concerts. Three Dog Night stole the show, but we also witnessed Jimi’s version of The Star Spangled Banner, and Frank Zappa conducting the fans as part of The Mothers.
How many of you have attended a summer concert at Red Rocks? Barry started that series too!
Yes, Barry Fey was definitely a Legendary concert promoter, and will be missed by everyone, whether they realize it or not.