Barry Richards, the legendary radio DJ, television host and concert promoter who helped shape the Washington region’s music scene, died peacefully on August 15 following complications from a series of strokes. He was 83.
Known as “The Boss with the Hot Sauce,” Richards played an influential role in introducing progressive rock, soul and heavy metal to listeners across Montgomery County and the broader Washington, D.C. area during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Richards appeared on several local radio stations, including Gaithersburg-based WHMC, Rockville’s WINX and Bethesda’s legendary progressive rock station WHFS. He developed a reputation for playing groundbreaking music before many mainstream stations were willing to embrace it…