David Voss is the longest cast/crew member to be a part of the Barney franchise. He started off as the original body performer of Barney in the first 6 Barney & the Backyard Gang home videos. He then went on to play numerous roles on screen and off, including; the Winkster, the tap dancing sign, choreographer/production assistant, PR assistant, Litterbot and more. He has even performed as multiple other costumed characters including Bob the Builder. This is only the third ever interview that he has done and I am so grateful and honored to have had the opportunity. I hope you all enjoy this episode!
Jamie Ruth Connor is sort of a mystery. Not many people knew about her until recent years and she very rarely gets the recognition she deserves. Jamie is THE original designer of Barney, helping Irene Corey and her niece Suzanne to flesh out Barney's look and even his color. She is the builder for the very first Barney plush doll that we would see on screen as well as art director for the very first three home videos for Barney and the Backyard Gang. She finally gets to share her story. Hear the behind the scenes stories she has from being involved from the very beginning!
Next up in their spot of love… is it a clash of children’s show hosts? Maybe! We talk with Jeff Street Jr., a Barney fan who is also in the beginning stages of his own children’s show! We talk about his experiences with Barney, his development on his show, what his favorite memory with Barney is, and so much more!
Dwin Towell was the director for two Backyard Gang videos, "Campfire Sing Along" and "Waiting for Santa", as well as coming back during the HIT era to be a camera operator. We talk about his experience with Barney and the work that went into making those videos. Dwin has seen nearly every iteration of Barney and I also show him the new look for Barney for the very first time and get his thoughts. We also talk about his work now with the Dallas Cowboys.
Sean Evans joins us to talk about his experience growing up with Barney in the UK and how different it might’ve been from the experience we had in the US. He also talks about the podcast he hosts and so much more!
Chris Childs was a gripper as well as camera operator for the Backyard gang videos, Campfire Sing-Along, Waiting for Santa, and Barney In Concert. He talks about his time with Barney, all of the other popular shows he's done since, the sports games he would film, and even his advice for those interested in getting into the field. If you listen close enough, you might even hear his dog make an appearance!
Malakai Finch is a Barney fan who is also now an educator. He shares his personal experiences with growing up with Barney. We have great conversation about our love of the different Barney songs, the conflicts that were introduced in the later years, sharing the interest with younger generations of today and even appreciating both the school and park eras.
Larry Baker was the assistant director for the first three Barney and the Backyard Gang home videos. He also helped write some of the most popular Barney songs alongside his partner, Stephen Bates Baltes. Larry shares his introduction to Barney, what it was like being a part of the production in those early years, and even the experience of being at the studio the day that the original suit was first unveiled.
On this episode we talk with Matt Parrish, Barney fan and creator of the YouTube documentary, "You Are Special: The History of Barney and Friends". Matt shares his experience with Barney growing up as the only child in a single parent household, as well as the work that went into making the two part documentary showcasing Barney & Friends history.
Korey Durham is a fellow Barney fan as well as a voice over artist. He shares his experiences with Barney, why he got into voice acting, some of his character impressions, thoughts on the reboot, how Julie Johnson is connected to his family, and so much more.
Kyle Nelson was one of the body actors for BJ during "Barney's Big Surprise" and "Barney's Musical Castle", eventually moving up to being BJ on home videos and the television show from Season 7 through the end! In this episode, we of course talk about his introduction to Barney, his favorite memories, the fact he worked with both David Joyner's Barney as well as Carey Stinson's, and even why didn't he play BJ in the last couple clip show videos! We talk about what he's up to now and even get a short visit from his daughter!
Brandon Smith is a Barney fan and also a puppeteer on Sesame Street! You can see his work in the upcoming new season that will air in November! On this episode we talk about his life with Barney, imitating the show as a child, him performing as Barney around his city, his Barney voice, what would Barney's World look like as a live show?, and so much more!
The guest this week is the wonderful Fred Holmes. Fred served as director and occasional writer for Barney and Friends! On this episode, we talk about his beginnings, his time on Wishbone, what brought him to Barney, his favorite episode to date, and so much more!
The guest this week, Jenn Pollard, is a well known Barney fan within the Barney communities. We talk about her first experiences of Barney, the fear of the Backyard Gang Barney as a child, how she ranks the seasons of the PBS series, the rarest item she owns and more!
Bob Singleton was the music director for Barney and the Backyard Gang and Barney & Friends throughout the 1990's but his involvement started well before then. We talk about his beginnings, what it was like working on a show like Barney, some questions fans have always wondered, and even what he's up to now. Later he shows off his chosen Barney item.
Jon Phelps is a Barney fan as well as an admin for the Facebook group "Stu-u-upendous Barney Fanatics". We talk about his experiences growing up with Barney, the importance of having multiple Barney fan communities, his favorite Barney video and so much more!
This week we have the one and only, Steve White! We talk about his beginnings in writing, how much time he had in between seasons, his thoughts on Riff and the dinosaur character, Barney’s grandma?, that he initially proposed. We also talk about the scripts or ideas that got turned down like a sequel to Imagination Island, what it was like writing for stage, even some fan questions we’ve always wondered like; why are Kelly and Carlos in the Radio City show? and what exactly was his original idea for the Musical Castle show? He shows of his most prized Barney items, share what he would like to see on the new Barney’s World and so much more! Enjoy this extended episode of Spots of Love!
Hedge is a popular YouTube personality and creator behind @HedgeOnStage where he creates videos around his artwork, other franchises, and more importantly, Barney. He's been a Barney fan for as long as he can remember, he's an amazing talent when it comes to creating artwork and animation, and he makes some of the best content you can find on Youtube when it comes to Barney. We have a fun conversation about his experiences, being afraid of the OG Backyard Gang Barney, the rarest Barney item he owns, and more!
Jess Nelson was the production designer for Barney beginning with the Backyard Gang home video, "Waiting for Santa" all the way through Season 3 of the PBS series, "Barney & Friends". He was responsible for the amazing sets, props, Barney plush dolls, puppets, and more used on the show in the early years as well as the initial design of BJ. We talk about his time on Barney, how he got started in the film industry, his successful Facebook group "Barney Plush Fans" and even what he's up to now!
You can join Barney Plush Fans on Facebook as well as his sculptor business, "Jess Nelson 1970's Sculptures".
Watch the video version of the podcast to see the items and visuals talked about, on Youtube or Barney History Fans Facebook Group and website.
On this episode, it's a double feature! We have both admins of the Barney History Fans group, Andrew Olsen and Kaelin Denton. On this episode we talk a little about their experiences with Barney, but we also talk more in depth about BHF, the website that is getting ready to launch, what's next to come for the group, and even take some fan questions. Due to the special occasion, I also brought back a game to play. Also check out their YouTube channels:
Andrew (Barney Builder) - https://www.youtube.com/ @barney_builder
Kaelin Denton (Tee-Riffic Tributes) - https://www.youtube.com/ @teeriffictributes
Watch the video version of the podcast to see the items and visuals talked about, on YouTube or Barney History Fans Facebook Group and website.
