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A Salute To Andy Barrie, By Jill Dempsey
Photo courtesy of the CBC.
Last week, Toronto heard Andy Barrie permanently sign off as host of CBC’s Metro Morning, the city’s top-rated morning show. “This is only au revoir,” he said, before abandoning the chair he’d spent most his mornings in for the last fifteen years.
Today, his successor, Matt Galloway—formerly of Radio One’s afternoon drive show—had Barrie on as his inaugural guest to celebrate a career well spent and wish him a final farewell. Here, one of his closest colleagues—and your friendly, neighbourhood newsreader on Metro Morning—Jill Dempsey, does too.
The brilliance of Andy Barrie: he makes hosting a morning radio show seem easy, when in reality it’s one of the toughest jobs around. He’s relaxed, personable, engaged, and ready to tackle some of the stickiest issues in the city, all while managing a chronic case of sleep deprivation.
Andy jumped aboard the Metro Morning train fifteen years ago and helped make it the number one morning show in Toronto. I’m always asked what it’s like to work with Andy. Well, quite simply, I think I hit the jackpot. I equate my morning at the round table to having the best seat in a master class called “How To Host A Radio Show.” I watched as he challenged, commiserated, mourned, and laughed with Toronto’s citizens and players.
It’s a testament to Andy’s superb skill behind the microphone that his retirement has left so many people feeling like they’re losing a friend or a member of their family. Of course, Andy sees this as the natural evolution of a radio host who has spent forty-five years in the business. He’s leaving on his terms and at the top of his game.
I clearly remember Andy’s generosity when I joined the show five years ago. I wasn’t looking forward to the four o’clock alarms and I wasn’t sure how I would fit in with the morning crew. On-air partnerships are strange; those who orchestrate these alliances cross their fingers, hope for the best, and pray there isn’t any noticeable on-air tension. So there I was, sitting in a studio with Andy, trying to figure out—in my own mind—how I would work with such a powerful on air personality. But he was incredibly supportive and welcoming.
“You are just as much a part of this show as I am,” he said after one of our early shows together. “If you have an opinion, point of view, or story, I want you to feel free to share it.” All I could say was, “Really?” It was a powerful gesture of generosity, but more importantly, he meant every word. He made room for me at the table and I am so grateful. Over the years we’ve had some interesting conversations on the radio, and sometimes I wasn’t quite sure where we were going, but in the end the audience was entertained and, hopefully, informed.
Not only did Andy offer mentorship to aspiring hosts and columnists at the CBC, but from time to time I would invite him to speak to my students at Ryerson University. His passion for radio was infectious. I watched these young people hang on to his every word. Andy was frank as he laid out a lifetime in the business, starting with this first moments behind the microphone at summer camp, the truculent bosses, and the challenges of private and public radio. Afterward, many told me they were astounded at his enthusiasm for his profession and couldn’t believe that he still got a thrill when he turned on that radio microphone after all these years. He won over those that were ambivalent about pursuing a career in radio and no doubt broadened Metro Morning‘s reach to a younger demographic.
In the midst of celebrating a radio icon, I have to touch briefly on the man. The past few years have not been easy. Andy lost his brother Jeff in a Moscow car crash. He cared for his beloved wife Mary until he lost her to cancer last year. And, of course, in the midst of all of this, Andy learned to live with a Parkinson’s diagnosis. He’s the adored son of Mickie—she’s so proud to be called Andy Barrie’s mom at a vibrant 93 years old. He’s embarking on new adventures with his beautiful daughter, Jessie; he loved showing pictures of their most recent adventures in Las Vegas and Egypt. He’s given so much to radio audiences in this city, and it’s now time for family and friends. But, more importantly, it’s Andy’s time to celebrate a brilliant career and chart a new path.