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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh

    R.I P. Barrie Bergman

    Barrie Bergman of Record Bar fame changed his cosmic zip code Sept 11. Barrie was the a Duke grad and CEO of Record Bar, a Durham based national chain of mall record stores that saw tremendous success during the 80's...180 stores...

    Barrie launched Record Bar's own record label DOLPHIN RECORDS in 1981, signing local and regional acts from VA to Fla. In 1982, Dolphin offered a record deal to the regional band MOON PIE out of Greenville SC. I was the manager and producer for that band at the time while also a senior packaging engineer for St. Joe Container Company. Barrie's offer was the turning point for a nagging life altering decision for me. I wound up quitting my "real job" and moving to Raleigh in Dec, 1982.

    After literally starving in the music business for about 4 years, some fortunate things happened for me, both as a producer and manger, and i wound up getting a modest foothold in the biz. My DBR SN is homage to my humble beginnings...

    Barrie was one of the coolest "corporate" guys i've ever met. The "cool" of the Record Bar legion of workers is 80's music biz lore. So, i say...sail on my good man, and thank you...

    https://hudsonfuneralhome.com/obitua...RqIEp__3qIzX6Y
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by moonpie23 View Post
    Barrie Bergman of Record Bar fame changed his cosmic zip code Sept 11. Barrie was the a Duke grad and CEO of Record Bar, a Durham based national chain of mall record stores that saw tremendous success during the 80's...180 stores...

    Barrie launched Record Bar's own record label DOLPHIN RECORDS in 1981, signing local and regional acts from VA to Fla. In 1982, Dolphin offered a record deal to the regional band MOON PIE out of Greenville SC. I was the manager and producer for that band at the time while also a senior packaging engineer for St. Joe Container Company. Barrie's offer was the turning point for a nagging life altering decision for me. I wound up quitting my "real job" and moving to Raleigh in Dec, 1982.

    After literally starving in the music business for about 4 years, some fortunate things happened for me, both as a producer and manger, and i wound up getting a modest foothold in the biz. My DBR SN is homage to my humble beginnings...

    Barrie was one of the coolest "corporate" guys i've ever met. The "cool" of the Record Bar legion of workers is 80's music biz lore. So, i say...sail on my good man, and thank you...

    https://hudsonfuneralhome.com/obitua...RqIEp__3qIzX6Y
    Wow. I bought all my cassette tapes from the Record Bar in Eastland Mall in Charlotte in the 80s.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Very cool story, Moonpie.

    I met him when I was a kid, but I don't remember him at all. My mom was a nurse in one of Duke's cardiac rehab programs, and he was a patient of hers. (The program was housed at Wallace Wade's old press box/building, such a cool place to go visit her.)

    Anyway, while I don't remember him, I DO remember going to Hilton Head for a Record Bar convention that he had invited us to. It was amazing seeing people like Joan Baez, Jimmy Buffet, and Ronnie Milsap play in a small hotel conference room. I miss the days of record stores; he sure made an impact on my trips to the mall.
    RIP, thanks for your contributions!
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Amazon sells t-shirts (3rd party seller) that have logos of old Durham haunts. I gave my brothers Record Bar tees for Christmas last year. The logo that looks like the Baby Ruth Candy Bar.

    https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Record-...s%2C185&sr=8-1


    Thinking about getting myself a China Inn Tee.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    The Record Bar was a major entity for those of us in Durham in the sixties/early seventies as well...

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by budwom View Post
    The Record Bar was a major entity for those of us in Durham in the sixties/early seventies as well...
    In those days Harry Bergman was the man.

    RIP Barrie.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by moonpie23 View Post
    Barrie Bergman of Record Bar fame changed his cosmic zip code Sept 11. Barrie was the a Duke grad and CEO of Record Bar, a Durham based national chain of mall record stores that saw tremendous success during the 80's...180 stores...

    Barrie launched Record Bar's own record label DOLPHIN RECORDS in 1981, signing local and regional acts from VA to Fla. In 1982, Dolphin offered a record deal to the regional band MOON PIE out of Greenville SC. I was the manager and producer for that band at the time while also a senior packaging engineer for St. Joe Container Company. Barrie's offer was the turning point for a nagging life altering decision for me. I wound up quitting my "real job" and moving to Raleigh in Dec, 1982.

    After literally starving in the music business for about 4 years, some fortunate things happened for me, both as a producer and manger, and i wound up getting a modest foothold in the biz. My DBR SN is homage to my humble beginnings...

    Barrie was one of the coolest "corporate" guys i've ever met. The "cool" of the Record Bar legion of workers is 80's music biz lore. So, i say...sail on my good man, and thank you...

    https://hudsonfuneralhome.com/obitua...RqIEp__3qIzX6Y
    Thanks for the note and the link to his obit!

    I fondly remember record shopping at the store in Chapel Hill in the early 80's. I too miss record stores.

    I also remember see Barry (I believe) drive up and park his red Ferrari in front of the chapel one day (someone told me at the time that he was the owner of Record Bar).

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Quote Originally Posted by Indoor66 View Post
    In those days Harry Bergman was the man.

    RIP Barrie.
    Per my story above...Harry was the patient of my mom's and the one I met. Glad you brought his name up, because that makes more sense.
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    My dad was at Durham High and Duke with Barrie. A staple of old Durham.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Over the years I worked in a couple of record stores that competed against the Record Bar. But they certainly were a Triangle Icon and I made some good friends who worked there, all of whom shared my love for music.

    May he RIP.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by aimo View Post
    Amazon sells t-shirts (3rd party seller) that have logos of old Durham haunts. I gave my brothers Record Bar tees for Christmas last year. The logo that looks like the Baby Ruth Candy Bar.

    https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Record-...s%2C185&sr=8-1


    Thinking about getting myself a China Inn Tee.
    Got one. Great memories.

    I want a Green Room one.

  12. #12
    I remember being somewhat shocked to find a Record Bar store at the Frontier Mall in Cheyenne, WY in the early 80's.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by fidel View Post
    Got one. Great memories.

    I want a Green Room one.
    It's a shame that there's no vintage Durham t-shirt for Bat's, or the Ivy Room, or the Criterion Theater, or the Stallion Club (a/k/a The Stable); lots of potential left on the table there. But I'm tempted to order one of those Tops Drive-In t-shirts to send my former roommate as a gag gift, since it was a popular spot just across the street from East Campus where freshmen guys could pick up local girls on a Friday night after a few beers at Bat's. (Remember that in the mid-60s, the male-to-female ratio at Duke was 2-to-1, and frosh were not permitted to have cars; so a sufficient amount of alcohol consumption could sometimes motivate a freshman guy to "jump the wall" in a quest for female companionship on a Friday night.)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Santa Cruz CA
    Quote Originally Posted by CameronBornAndBred View Post
    Very cool story, Moonpie.

    I met him when I was a kid, but I don't remember him at all. My mom was a nurse in one of Duke's cardiac rehab programs, and he was a patient of hers. (The program was housed at Wallace Wade's old press box/building, such a cool place to go visit her.)

    Anyway, while I don't remember him, I DO remember going to Hilton Head for a Record Bar convention that he had invited us to. It was amazing seeing people like Joan Baez, Jimmy Buffet, and Ronnie Milsap play in a small hotel conference room. I miss the days of record stores; he sure made an impact on my trips to the mall.
    RIP, thanks for your contributions!
    While I was at Duke, Record Bar had a conference of store managers in Durham and held performances for them in Page Auditorium. The Record Bar people sat downstairs, but students that found out about it could watch for free from the balcony. First time I ever saw Stevie Ray Vaughan perform.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by BigWayne View Post
    While I was at Duke, Record Bar had a conference of store managers in Durham and held performances for them in Page Auditorium. The Record Bar people sat downstairs, but students that found out about it could watch for free from the balcony. First time I ever saw Stevie Ray Vaughan perform.
    I believe I was at that concert in late '83 and also in a free seat in the balcony. I had little idea who he was when I entered, and was blown away. Only other guitarists who have come close to doing that for me are Leo Kottke, Stanley Jordan, Richard Thompson, and Prince.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Nepos View Post
    I believe I was at that concert in late '83 and also in a free seat in the balcony. I had little idea who he was when I entered, and was blown away. Only other guitarists who have come close to doing that for me are Leo Kottke, Stanley Jordan, Richard Thompson, and Prince.
    I was at this show too. Worked the event as an usher. The db’s and Marshall Crenshaw also performed. R.E.M. received an award and I took members of the band to The Hideaway for a beer before the ceremony! Got autographs of three members of the band and took some snaps from the pit in front of the stage! Great memories of Record Bar (and shows at Page)!
    RIP Barry!

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Stray Gator View Post
    It's a shame that there's no vintage Durham t-shirt for Bat's, or the Ivy Room, or the Criterion Theater, or the Stallion Club (a/k/a The Stable); lots of potential left on the table there. But I'm tempted to order one of those Tops Drive-In t-shirts to send my former roommate as a gag gift, since it was a popular spot just across the street from East Campus where freshmen guys could pick up local girls on a Friday night after a few beers at Bat's. (Remember that in the mid-60s, the male-to-female ratio at Duke was 2-to-1, and frosh were not permitted to have cars; so a sufficient amount of alcohol consumption could sometimes motivate a freshman guy to "jump the wall" in a quest for female companionship on a Friday night.)
    I did stop by Sam’s Quik Shop a number of years ago (many years after graduation) and picked up a tshirt I still wear! I’d wear a WXDU shirt if they sold them!

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