“If Barry Fey owes you money, please raise your hand.”
Leslie Haseman was taking an informal poll Wednesday night at an informal roast of her former colleague – the legendary concert and sports promoter – and about half of those in attendance raised their hands into the air good-naturedly.
“It’s not as many as I would have expected,” she deadpanned.
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was all in honor of Fey, a legend not only in Colorado but throughout the U.S. for his innovative and aggressive promotions from the 1960s to the 1990s. Outside of his storied promoting career, which includes an expansive history with a little band called U2, Fey is also one of the most colorful characters in Colorado.
And as much as Fey insisted that Wednesday’s event was a tribute – in fact it was his introduction to the Rockbar Hall of Fame at the new East Colfax Avenue bar – most of his friends wouldn’t let him forget that he’s one of the most easily roasted people in Denver.
Referring to a supposed line in front of the bar, the evening’s emcee, Post columnist Dick Kreck, quipped, “That’s not voters waiting to vote outside – it’s people who Barry owes money to.”
Many of the stories revealed Wednesday night, even in censored form, are unprintable in these pages. But Fey’s friends had fun with his adventures with poker, eating, sports betting and the music business.
Local production man Nick Williams has known Fey for more than 20 years and told stories about Fey’s charisma. Once Williams was knee-deep in a Vegas venue setting up for a U2 show when Fey called and insisted he drop everything and go bet his entire wallet on a horse at Caesars Palace. Williams dropped $5,000 on the race, and after the horse led the majority of the race, it hopped the infield fence and lost on the last leg.
Singer-songwriter Robert Fleishman sweetly retold his first run-in with Fey.
“It was 1977,” Fleishman recalled, “and Barry asked me if I was ready for the big time.”
He came to Colorado from Chicago to showcase for CBS, and it wasn’t long after that he was writing songs for a band that was in the middle of a musical transformation. The band: Journey. The songs: “Wheel in the Sky,” “Winds of March” and “Anytime.”
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
