Brian Edward Barlow

Brian Barlow of Sutton, MA died peacefully on March 14, 2022, sung on by his beloved wife and daughters, from a life well and truly lived. 

 As a son, brother, friend, father, husband, and community leader, Brian’s was a journey not to be measured in time. He was born in 1949, in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Claire and Bill Barlow, and grew up with his brother, Stephen, in Auburn. He spent hours playing tennis and was a long-time member of the Worcester Tennis Club, becoming a champion player several times over. From childhood, he loved the radio, the “magic box,” and he was deeply affected by the musical revolutions of the fifties and sixties, especially the British Invasion. Music became the love of his life, playing an outsized role in his family, his friendships, and his career.

Brian attended UMass, Amherst, hiked around Europe, and in the early 1980’s, opened his own business, Park Ave Audio Vidoe. Brian met the singer, Jan Seaberg, in 1983, following her from gig to gig for months, until she agreed to marry him. They had two treasured daughters, Marissa, born in 1987, and Halee, born in 1993, and settled in Sutton, with a growing collection of guitars and drums and keyboards, tambourines and maracas, and an assortment of vintage jukeboxes that Brian lovingly restored.

Brian began a career in broadcasting on WICN, Worcester’s NPR affiliate, and for the next twelve years he hosted an early morning jazz show in a deep, resonant, and confidential voice that attracted listeners, supporters, and members alike. He later became general manager, and under his leadership, Worcester’s eclectic community radio was reimagined as New England’s Jazz Station, doubling membership and tripling corporate support. He oversaw the planning, building and fundraising for the station’s new home in the historic Printer’s Building, including a new performance studio that soon became a “must stop” for established Jazz artists, and an opportunity for new and emerging artists, a particular source of joy and pride for Brian. Under Brian’s leadership, WICN produced and hosted the Jazz at Sunset series, and the Brown Bag Concerts at Mechanics Hall, all while continuing to share his love of jazz and an encyclopedic knowledge of music on A Tasteful Blend and Jazz Highways, radio shows he hosted for over thirty years. In 2005, WICN was recognized as one of the top four small stations in the US.

Brian stepped down from the station, taking on a new challenge as Director of Advancement at the Worcester Art Museum, where he worked until he retired for health reasons in 2011. He continued to be deeply involved in the arts community, supporting organizations including Apple Tree Arts, A.C.E., and others with time and expertise, and producing major jazz, folk, and rock concerts at Hanover Theater and other Worcester venues. He became a fine cook, traveled widely, and spent countless hours making and recording music with his wife and others.

Brian was a connoisseur of music, conversation, and food, and a champion and supporter of the local cultural community. But it was his family and friends that brought him the most joy. And his superpower, beyond his enchanting voice and the ability to fall deeply and instantly to sleep, was the gift of making each of his friends feel uniquely valued. He had an inclusive and giving heart that took the greatest happiness in the small things, listening to the birds in the morning, mastering a recipe, contemplating the stars, walking his beloved dog Tilly. But most of all, it was the music. Listening to music. Making music with his wife and daughters and friends.  Making of life his own magic box.  

Calling hours will be held Thursday March 17 from 4-7 pm at MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St, Worcester MA. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, March 19 at 11am at Washburn Hall in Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St, Worcester.  A luncheon will follow at the Beechwood Hotel, 363 Plantation St, Worcester. 

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