Bay Area Sports-Talk Legend Ralph Barbieri Dead at 74

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Ralph Barbieri 1946 - 2020

Radio has lost another legend. Bay Area sports-talker Ralph Barbieri, considered to be one of the "founding fathers" of KNBR (680 AM), died at his home in Novato on Monday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 74.

Barbieri's career at KNBR spanned 28 years. His highly opinionated, often abrasive approach rattled some listeners but the unique style also attracted throngs of passionate fans. His final 15 years at KNBR were spent with former NBA player Tom Tolbert in a highly rated afternoon show called "The Razor and Mr. T."

"He was one of a kind. He was special," said Tolbert. "He could be frustrating. But I loved working with him. He kept you on your toes."

"You knew when you flipped that dial and heard his voice, there was nobody like that," said Gary Radnich, a former KNBR mainstay.

Barbieri, known for his raspy delivery, was dubbed "Razor Voice" early in his career by fabled San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen. In 2005, Barbieri was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease but didn't disclose his illness to KNBR management or his audience until 2011. Six months later, in April 2012, he was fired. Barbieri sued KNBR's parent company, Cumulus Media, alleging age discrimination and his illness. At the time, the station issued a statement saying: "Ralph refused to honor some of the most basic terms of his contract. As a result, KNBR exercised its right to terminate the contract." The suit was settled the following year for an undisclosed amount.

Former Giants general manager, Brian Sabean, one of Barbieri's favorite "sparring partners," noted on KNBR that Barbieri always came to his interviews "fully loaded" and had a way of "going for the jugular - but if you step back and look at it, he was worth the price of admission."