Brian Gari Web Site

Photos

1962 Jack Benny pays me not to grow a beard

1965 My band the Minks--note the masking tape for my microphone. I still have that crappy Kent guitar.

1965 Trying to learn songs by osmosis

1966 My PF Sloan period complete with John Lennon cap, Jan & Dean shirt and my $10 guitar. Who would have thought that 20 years later I would perform with him?

This is a newly discovered shot of me(far left) with future Ryan's Hope star Ilene Kristen and my drummer & friend Larry Chernoff (far right) on Thanksgiving 1970

This is where I worked on Late Nite Comic in 1979 while I answered the phones for owner Rick Newman. I performed here for several years working with Larry Miller, Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser and Bill Maher among many others. Kinda funny whose face is looming above my head!

Larry Miller has always been one of my favorite comics. His admiration for my songs was evident the first time I heard him sing Late Nite Comic. This was taken in 1985 after a successful engagement we had at Caroline's in NYC.

This shot of me and the famous drummer Hal Blaine was taken at the Bottom Line here in NYC about 1985. He is a great friend and probably the most creative drummer I've ever known.

Here is the legendary songwriter PF Sloan in an engagement I proudly put together in 1985 at the Bottom Line in NYC. What a thrill to be on stage with a major influence on my music!

This is the band that I put together for the Sloan engagement. Left to right it's Dennis Diken, Sloan, Don Ciccone, Brian Gari and Ray Van Stratten.

I first wrote Don Ciccone a fan letter in 1966 when I was 14. His work as lead singer and writer for the Critters was astounding. We went on to record together for many years.

Leah Kunkel has one of finest voices in pop music. She is the sister of Cass Elliot and has all of the wonderful qualities Cass had and more. You heard her on a million records including Handy Man by James Taylor. She sang my songs beautifully!

You may not know the name Mae Questel but you sure know the voices she did--Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and a zillion others. That's me around 1985 with Mae at a Laurel and Hardy convention.

While we're on the subject of voices, this is a shot of me and Cheryl Chase, the voice of Angelica in The Rugrats. This photo was taken in 1995 just as the series was beginning.

Remember 'Can't You Hear My Heartbeat?' and 'A Little Bit of Soul?' Well that's Ken Lewis from England and he is the co-writer of those hits!

As you can tell, songwriters hold a special place in my heart. This is Alan Gordon, the co-writer of 'Happy Together' and so many other hits, when we collaborated for a short time in 1986.

Jimmy Webb invited me and my ex-wife to see him get inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame. We all got on the bed at the Plaza Hotel and posed for this shot. Among my bed partners were Michael Douglas, Thelma Houston and Webb.

Paul O'Keefe, who played Ross on The Patty Duke Show, has been my friend since junior high. We often perform together here in NYC.

Anthony Newley at WNBC studios in NYC on August 12, 1987 after doing The Alan Colmes Show. I played piano for him during Alan's show. It was an incredible experience because I never knew Tony didn't play an instrument. One of my favorite songs of his was an obscure one called LUNCH WITH A FRIEND. When I mentioned I could play it, his eyes lit up because it was one of his favorites too. We corresponded for a while after this photo was taken. He was a kind, humble and talented man and I'm going to miss him.

Once again when I was about 15 I wrote a fan letter to the man behind Ronny & the Daytonas--Bucky Wilkin. Things came full circle when in 1995 I became a Daytona for the day and performed with Bucky. I went on to write the liner notes for his Best of CD the following year. He's a great friend and a very underrated talent.

My long lost friend Kenny Morse from junior high turned out to be one of the stars of LA television and radio under the name of Mr. Traffic. Here we are after being out of touch for over 30 years!

Brian meets Brian (Wilson) July 2001

Brian points out his grandfather's picture to Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara at Surprise Lake Camp, Summer 2001

Beverly Washburn moved me to tears in the great Disney film OLD YELLER. She has been in a million TV shows and films and it is an honor to know her. October 2001