Backstage at The Price Is Right: Memoirs of A Barker Beauty (23 page)

Chapter 36

Scotty’s Death

F
ive years after my father’s death, I was revisited by more heartbreaking news, this time regarding my second oldest and favorite brother, Scotty.

Shortly after taping the last show of the day, upon entering my dressing room, the phone rang, and it was my mother. She said, “Hi, honey. Are you finished taping for the day?”

“Yes, Mom. What’s up?”

“It’s about Scotty. Kelly (his stepdaughter) found him at his apartment unconscious on the floor near his bed. He was taken to Saint Joseph Hospital in Burbank, and he’s in intensive care. They don’t know exactly what happened, but the prognosis doesn’t look good, and he is showing no signs of recovery. The technicians have taken several X-rays and a brain scan, and they found a large tumor on his brain. Evidently, he must have been unconscious for several hours and nobody was home with him when he fell out of bed. He was probably in severe pain while trying to get to the bathroom or reach for the phone.”

My heart sank at this distressing news. Not wanting to fathom the worst case scenario, I asked, “What are you saying, Mom? Is he going to be alright, or what
?”

“Well honey, I think you should try to get over to the hospital as soon as you can. I am here now with Rose and Kelly, so please come as soon as you can,” Mom suggested in a solemn voice. I immediately left the studio in a zombie-like state, feeling numb and shocked with disbelief and in total denial as to what I had just heard from my mother about my darling Scotty.

As word got out about our beloved Scotty, numerous friends and family members began gathering at the hospital, praying and trying to remain optimistic. Our play sister, Lynn Hughes-Riley, to whom the kids referred to as “Mommy Lynn,” was extremely close to Scotty and was having a hard time accepting this terrible tragedy. She and Scotty’s wife, Rose, were close friends and leaned heavily upon one another in disbelief and despair.

My cousin, Terrie Scott, rushed over as soon as she heard the news. Like Mommy Lynn, Terrie was also a play sister to Scotty. Terrie and Scotty were closer in age than he and Lynn, and they had experienced many adventurous and exciting years together while growing up in Ohio, as well as here in Los Angeles. Terrie wasn’t prepared for it to end so abruptly— not yet—not now.

The doctors contemplated whether to perform brain surgery. There was so much bleeding in his frontal lobe, and even if they did remove the tumor, there would be no guarantee that he’d have any normal functions at all—or worse, that he’d ever wake up. In essence, he would have more than likely been in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Rose, Scotty’s wife of five years, had the final say. Thank God my sister-in-law respected the family’s views and wishes and was willing to discuss options.

We all agreed that if there was a shred of hope or any light at the end of the tunnel that he could come out of this surgery successfully, we’d opt for the surgery. At best, he might regain a reasonable amount of awareness and functionality, so we were willing to give the surgery a try. The doctors immediately prepped Scotty for the six-to eight-hour brain surgery.

Still in deep shock, we prayed and waited patiently, trying to keep busy with cheerful thoughts of Scotty and how he made everyone laugh with his jokes and anecdotes. We all paced the waiting room floor at one time or another. Lynn and Rose found comfort in taking cigarette breaks on the patio. Brothers Mark and Ronald were making preparations to fly in to be with the rest of the family as soon as they received the dreaded news. Robert and Parvati immediately drove in from Dana Point.

My mother loved her five children dearly, and, as with all of us, she and Scotty had their special bond. They had been roommates for many years before he got married. They cared for one another in times of need, so close, so loving, such strong family ties. Mom has always been a pillar of strength, so kind, forgiving, and understanding—the true matriarch of the Bradley family. She was a religious and spiritual woman, once a Jehovah’s Witness, but now a devout follower of Dr. O. C. Smith’s Science of the Mind at the City of Angels Church in Playa Del Rey. She was at the hospital around the clock and in constant prayer, remaining strong and vigilant.

Scotty would bring Mom flowers almost every day, be it from a florist or a flower he would pick from someone’s yard if he couldn’t stop to buy a bouquet. He really loved and adored his mother. He had always said that he wanted to die before Mom because he would not be able to bear life if she passed before him. Sadly, his wish was about to be granted.

Scotty’s family and friends had given him many nicknames for his unique style of dress and creative fashion designs. He was known as “The Rhinestone Cowboy,” because he put rhinestones and studs on almost every piece of clothing he owned. He even studded his undershirts, boxers, and socks. When he got married, he even put rhinestones on his tuxedo. I must admit that he did look dapper and quite stylish. It may have seemed strange to some people, but we concluded that he was either ahead of his time and making a fashion statement or just stuck in a time warp. He was
the
polyester-wearing throwback brother from the seventies.

Scotty still wore bell-bottoms on occasion. “Hollywood Swinger,” was one of his aliases, adapted from the song, “Hollywood Swinging,” made famous in the 1970s by
Kool & the Gang
. One such outfit that branded him the nickname “Hollywood Swinger” is enshrined in Plexiglas and hanging in my garage to this day. This most unique outfit is comprised of denim bell-bottom jeans with a denim bolero jacket, adorned with various patches of fur, suede, leather, rhinestones, and silver studs. To top it off, he cut up an old pair of jeans and hand-stitched a matching shoulder bag and sported a coordinated walking cane. Scotty had a variety of fancy canes that he collected throughout his travels abroad and while stationed in Vietnam.
“Hey, hey, hey … What ya got to say … Hey, hey, hey … What ya got to say… Hollywoooooooood, Hollywood swinging!”

He was a real ladies’ man and had the utmost respect for women. Before he was married to his lovely Rose, Scotty would approach a girl he was interested in and ask her name. No matter what name she said, he’d simply reply, “Hey, what a coincidence; that’s my mother’s name.” This was his way of capturing her attention and assuring her that they already had something in common.

When Scotty made a visit backstage at
The Price Is Right
, he would keep everybody in stitches. He had many fascinating stories and good jokes to share with everyone on the set. The other Beauties enjoyed having him around between shows and during the rehearsals. He brought each of the Beauties a flower and gave them little kisses on the backs of their hands as he presented them with their special tokens of love and appreciation. Visiting the control booth and talking with the crew and camera operators made Scotty feel right at home. My brother was not new to the world of television. For several years, he’d worked as a camera operator for the local news program of the CBS affiliate in Youngstown.

Even with his electrical engineering degree, work in the TV/motion picture industry was sometimes scarce, so he worked as a camera operator in the adult film industry on several X-rated film productions in Burbank. Or, when necessary, he worked as a grip. What the heck; it was good, honest, steady work, and it paid well.

Kathy Greco, an associate producer on
TPIR
, was one of Scotty’s favorite people at the show, plus she was an Ohioan like us. Kathy had been instrumental to
Price
since 1975. She designed games, secured prizes, consoled and congratulated contestants, and even appeared on camera from time to time. Kathy was nicknamed “Fingers” after she’d given Barker a backrub in the early 1980s. He had been suffering from a herniated disc and sciatica at the time. Barker had mentioned that she had “magic fingers.” The nickname stuck and was shortened to “Fingers” or “Fingers Greco.”

Kathy was always so kind to Scotty. She was even willing to try and assist him in getting a job at the studio and asked for his résumé. He gave me his résumé to pass on to her, but there was nothing available at the time. It is incredibly difficult to tap into the movie and TV industry, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I had always been very fond of Kathy over the years, and now, I had gained another level of respect for her. To extend that courtesy to my brother meant a lot to me.

The surgeons managed to remove the tumor from Scotty’s brain and had considered the surgery a success. All we could do now was wait it out and pray that Scotty would miraculously have a full or partial recovery.

I decided to go home to try and get some rest. I had to be on the set to work the following day and didn’t want to look like Rory Raccoon with tired, baggy eyes. It was difficult to sleep that night, and when I finally drifted off, the startling sound of music from the radio alarm snapped me back to reality. It was time to get up and go about my daily routine with the kids and prepare to head to CBS for work. When I arrived, I filled everyone in on Scotty’s condition. A few people backstage were aware of what was going on when I had rushed out the night before with teary eyes and a pained grimace on my face. Every time I had to repeat the story to someone, I would tear up from just the mere mention of Scotty’s name.

The time I spent working on the show that day, maintaining my professionalism and sanity, was probably one of the most difficult and challenging things I have ever had to do. My mind was so far removed from the show
,
the games, the audience, and the prizes. Rod Roddy’s voice echoed in my head every time he made an announcement. I could’ve broken into hysteria at any given moment, knowing that my dear brother may no longer be with us here on earth, that his life was about to expire. I forced myself to concentrate on the cues and kept smiling, acting as if I was having the best day of my life.

Being the strong Bradley woman that I am, I managed to get through the day with the support and well wishes from Barker, the Beauties, the staff, and the best crew on earth. Despite any negative things people may have had to say about Barker, he was sympathetic to my emotions and conveyed his heartfelt sentiments throughout Scotty’s ordeal. Barker could relate to my pain because he still carried the pain of his late wife, Dorothy Jo’s, death around with him every day.

After several days passed with no signs of any brain activity, which the doctors had predicted, the harsh reality of removing Scotty from life support was at hand. Even if he did regain consciousness, he would have needed 24/7 personal care. We knew he wouldn’t have wanted to live under those circumstances—no way, no how—
not
our Scotty. We had no choice but to let go and let God have him. He was only forty-nine at the time, and he never got to party into the new millennium. He died on Cinco de Mayo May 5, 1999. Leave it to Scotty to go out on such a celebratory holiday.

Kathy Greco gave me the most beautiful sympathy card. She had also experienced the loss of a sibling not too long before and was devastated by her sister’s unexpected passing. Most of the message on the card was handwritten. It was expressed with much love and compassion. It really touched my heart.

Scotty’s death left me in deep, dark despair for many years. I took it extremely hard. On many evenings at home, I would get totally intoxicated, put my Charlie Wilson and the Gap Band music on blast, and go outside and howl at the moon. As time went on, the severe pain of his loss lessened. I began to accept what I could not change and stopped asking, “Why him? Why us?”

Scotty was truly a one-of-a-kind unique, loving human being, who will continue to live in the hearts of all who knew him. If he were here today, he would want everybody to know: “Hey, hey, hey … BREAKING NEWS! The pity train has just derailed at the intersection of Suck It Up and Move On and crashed into We All Have Problems before coming to a complete stop at Get Over It. Any complaints about how we operate can be forwarded to 1-800-waah, waah, waah, waah. This is Dr. Scotty B., reporting live from Quit Your Sniffilin’ and Fuck the Dumb Shit.”

After I returned from my time off to lay my brother to rest in peace, everyone welcomed me back to work with open arms and heartfelt sympathy. It was all I could do to maintain my composure when someone said anything pertaining to my loss or gave me a hug. I whimpered a few times and overcame some light sniffles. It was show time; all grief and personal feelings had to be put aside.

Chapter 37

I Was in the Room

I
n September 2000, shortly after returning to work from our summer hiatus, a select group of
TPIR
cast and staffers were subpoenaed to testify in a deposition for
Barker V. Hallstrom
. When Holly was terminated in 1995, the never-ending web of lawsuits, arbitrations, and appeals between Barker and Holly were just heating up.

Barker thought that Holly’s funds would have been depleted by now and expected her to drop her suits and appeals and walk away. But Nick Alden was committed and ready to go the distance for truth and equality— and, eventually, the big payback. Everyone was on pins and needles, knowing that we were going to be sworn in within a few days to give testimony regarding the facts as we knew them leading up to Holly’s termination in 1995. We had learned from the depositions we’d given in Dian’s case that we had better think twice about what we were going to say and how we would say it, so as not to make Barker appear to be the bad guy. We did not want to contradict Barker’s testimony or we would have hell to pay. This was a real life test of
Truth or Consequences
.

When the day came to give my deposition, I was ready to get in, get out, and get it over with as quickly as possible. The deposition was taking place, once again, in Barker’s attorneys’ Century City tower office. Attorney Patty Glacier and her legal team were in full force, while Holly’s defense attorney, Nick Alden, went at it alone. Nick was gentle and caring in his approach as he questioned me. He wanted to make sure that I stated the correct answers without feeling intimidated or reluctant to counter anything to which Barker may have attested in his deposition. Barker’s attorney
s
took a more direct approach of questioning and were very suggestive. My session was painless enough, and I felt good about my answers. I was able to refer to my personal journal when I needed to confirm a date about certain activities that had transpired over the last five years. Some of the questions referred to dates as far back as Dian’s dismissal and deposition. My deposition lasted about three hours.

It was Thursday, our TGIF as the last day of work for the week. Prior to the taping of the first show, Sherrell came to my dressing room during our lunch break and said, “Barker wants to know if you or Janice remembers the last time Holly wore a swimsuit in a showcase or as a prize?”

It had been almost five years since Holly was terminated and, just as when Dian had left, there wasn’t much around to remind us that she had ever existed as a Barker Beauty. I thought about it for a minute, then replied, “Actually, there is a Polaroid photo hanging backstage that Richard Auther took of me, Gena, and Holly, all wearing swimsuits.” It was one of the rare instances in which all three of us wore swimsuits at the same time.

I immediately ran downstairs and pulled the photo off the backstage wall. The photo was taken shortly after Barker telling Holly and me to lose weight during the meeting in Holly’s dressing room. This photo depicted the last time Holly had worn a swimsuit on the show before she was terminated and could prove to be vital for the
Barker v. Hallstrom
case. Barker and his legal team knew there was too much attention being focused on Holly’s weight issues. In California law, it is clearly a case of physical discrimination if, in fact, she was terminated because she had gained weight. But in this photo, she had lost enough weight to visibly hold her own against Gena and me—Holly looked great.

I showed the photo to Sherrell, and she was pleased to know that it existed. “I’ll take it to Barker’s dressing room and let him know that you found it,” Sherrell said eagerly.

“Cool,” I said. It felt good to know that I had produced a piece of vital information that could possibly be used to help determine the case. And if it were in Barker’s favor, I would surely be rewarded.

Shortly after I’d handed the photo to Sherrell, she told me that Barker wanted to see me in his dressing room. “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”

I knocked on Barker’s door, and he invited me in. Our director, Paul Alter, was in the room along with Roger Dobkowitz. They were discussing the upcoming show.

“Sherrell said you wanted to know if anyone knew the last time Holly wore a swimsuit, but I did you one better and gave her the photo of me, Holly, and Gena, all in swimsuits right before she left,” I boasted.

Barker replied nonchalantly, “Yes, I’ve seen it.”

“I gave my deposition last night and told them I remembered everything that was said in Holly’s dressing room during the meeting between you, Holly, and me when we discussed our weight gain. But most importantly, I told them that I distinctly recall you
not
telling Holly to stop taking her medication, but for her to do whatever was necessary to lose the weight.”

Barker slowly turned his head away from the photo, looked deep into my eyes and said, “Either you’re lying or you’re making it up.”

I stood there in shock, numb and speechless.
Did Barker just call me a liar?
I thought I was being helpful and trying to reassure him that, in support of his statement that he
did not
tell Holly to go off of her medication, I had stated the facts as I knew them while we were in Holly’s dressing room. I didn’t believe what I had just heard and couldn’t exactly figure out what the hell Barker was talking about. The opposing counsel could contest that Holly was not overweight at that time, and possibly because Barker had told her to go off of her medication in order to lose the weight if she wanted to keep her job. And judging by the swimsuit photo, she had clearly done
something
to get the weight off. Holly’s attorney would then have just cause to counter sue and claim medical condition discrimination, if not physical discrimination.

As I stood there in silence, Barker went on to contest, “You were not there that day in Holly’s dressing room. What are you talking about? It was just me and Holly; how could you possibly know what was said?”

“But Bob, I was there. Why in the world would I make something like that up? I can’t believe you don’t remember coming to my dressing room and saying that you wanted me to follow you into Holly’s dressing room to discuss our weight. Are you serious?”

Paul and Roger just sat still, not saying a word and seemed to be almost as dumb-founded as I was.

Doug Quick knocked on Barker’s door to give him a ten-minute countdown to show time. Thank God, it was time to adjourn this uneventful hangman’s meeting. I was beginning to get a little perturbed and couldn’t foresee how the conversation would end amicably. My feelings were extremely hurt as I exited his room to get ready for the show.

There’s no doubt that was the day that Barker decided that I had to go, the same day that he put the final nail in my coffin, the same day that he started the Kathleen Bradley witch hunt.

When I got home that evening, I received a call from Patty Glacier’s office, saying that Barker had called and was concerned and disturbed about a meeting that had taken place in his dressing room earlier that day, regarding me being in Holly’s dressing room during “the weight loss meeting.” They wanted me to recant my testimony in my deposition and say that I either heard the story directly from Holly or perhaps I’d overheard her discussing it during a conversation with someone on the set. As it turns out, neither Holly nor Barker put me in that room during the meeting when they gave their depositions. I was stunned. It was unbelievable. I could understand if Barker had forgotten, but Holly, too? I may as well have been the invisible woman or a part of the paint on the wall that day. There was no way I would ever recant my statement; I was, in fact, 110 percent physically and mentally present in Holly’s room and had heard everything said by both her and Barker.

I later found out from Sherrell that Barker wanted her to say, under oath, that I was not present during the meeting between him and Holly, but to admit that
she
was there in Holly’s dressing room the whole time. Sherrell told Barker that she couldn’t do that, as she was not about to perjure herself.

On September 18, 2000, three days before the case was scheduled to go to trial, Barker’s lawsuit against Holly was dismissed. The court declared Holly the prevailing party and ordered Barker to pay her legal fees. Holly’s legal fees were approximately $26,000 and were paid for by The Price Is Right Productions Company—not a penny came out of Barker’s personal pocket. Barker was infuriated by the court’s decision, and we all bore the brunt of his anger and resentment.