DC Radio And TV Legend Barry Richards Passes Away

Washington radio and TV legend Barry Richards, known as “The Boss with the Hot Sauce,” has died at 83. Richards passed away Saturday, August 15, following complications from a series of strokes.

Richards’ long radio career included stops at WDON (1540), WINX (1600) in Rockville and WHMC (1150) in Gaithersburg, where he was the PD and hosted afternoons. He helped turn the small AM station into an early home for progressive rock. His career also included WKTK (105.7) in Baltimore, WEAM (1390), WKYS (93.9), WMOD (98.7), and several other local stations, as well as several stations around the country. Richards was also a major concert promoter, helping bring acts including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Joe Cocker and others to Washington.

Richards was just as much a TV personality as a radio personality. He hosted and produced a string of local music shows on WDCA Channel 20, WTTG Channel 5, WJLA Channel 7 and WMAR Channel 2, putting rock, soul and R&B performers on local television years before music video television became commonplace. Richards eventually moved to Southern California and continued working in music, promotion and consulting.