Backstage at The Price Is Right: Memoirs of A Barker Beauty (3 page)

I had to start laughing. Some of the other stagehands were standing nearby and had witnessed my calculated plan for payback, and they cracked up too. After that day, Richard and I became the best of friends and had a good understanding as to where the boundaries lay.

Later, in the mid-nineties, after a few sexual harassment suits and far too many complaints, CBS finally sent out a formal sexual harassment memo to all of their male employees. Among the obvious no-tolerance rules and regulations was one known as the “ten-second staring rule,” meaning if anyone stared at one of the models or any actress on another set for more than ten seconds, it would be considered sexual harassment, and the employee could be disciplined or terminated.

Chapter 3

Beverly Hills Celebration

T
o celebrate my addition to
The Price Is Right
and for my significant contributions to the history of entertainment, my husband, family, and best friends decided to give me the biggest, most spectacular party of the decade in the spring of 1991. This gala was held at Stringfellows, an exclusive, upscale restaurant and nightclub in the heart of Beverly Hills, off Rodeo Drive. Stringfellows originated in London, England and was founded by owner Peter Stringfellow, who also opened his signature clubs in New York and Miami. Well-known celebrities, the Beverly Hills elite, high fashion models, powerful movie moguls, and the who’s who of Hollywood frequented this popular nightclub.

In good old-fashioned, Hollywood premier style, stretch limousines arrived to the red carpet and flashing bright lights. There was extensive media coverage, with the news and entertainment magazines all geared up for this big, celebratory, black-tie VIP reception. The NAACP Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch members and Los Angeles Urban League executives were in attendance. Black celebrities from all facets of the entertainment industry and sports figures galore were on hand to help celebrate and toast to one of their very own on a legendary daytime television show.

Open invitations went out to all of the
TPIR
executives, Barker, Rod, Dian, Janice, and Holly, the production staff, and a few select crew members. As I looked around the room, I was delighted and pleasantly surprised that many of them had showed up and were ready to party and celebrate the arrival of the newest Barker Beauty to the show. The lovely Holly came out adorned in a beautiful white party dress and represented the other two Beauties, who were absent for this festive and auspicious occasion.

My very dear friend Jim Hill, who was a local sportscaster for ABC Channel 7 News at the time, along with one of my best friends, Patricia Saint James, entrepreneur and CEO of Saint James Cosmetics, were the master and mistress of ceremonies for the evening. When it came time to present me as the newest addition to
TPIR
and as the first African- American model to join ranks with the Barker Beauties, the crowd exploded with cheers and thunderous applause. A number of prominent political figures, black business owners, and celebrities came forth to deliver praise, certificates, plaques, and acknowledgments. Hearing the presenters read the inscriptions of the many plaques and certificates was awesome. One plaque graciously proclaimed:

California Earthquake Rehabilitation Services

Congratulates

KATHLEEN BRADLEY

on your accomplishments in one of the most competitive fields, the entertainment industry.

The achievements you have made by acquiring the knowledge to master the obstacles before you will always be admired and remembered by all. Your addition to
The Price Is Right
Is truly a history-making event.

April 1991, Henry Woods, President

One of my very favorite commendations came from the office of the lieutenant governor of California, Leo McCarthy, who commended me for making history as the first black game show model on the number one game show,
The Price Is Right
.

My agent, Judy, who had endured the long, rolling wave with me during the ups and downs of this arduous journey, was asked to come to the stage and say a few words. She simply stated, “I wouldn’t have missed this occasion for the world. Kathleen is so deserving of this prestigious position, and I have no doubt that she will represent all women of color very well.”

My fellow thespians and
Perfume
co-stars, Shy Jefferson, Cheryl Francis Harrington, and Eugenia Wright, who worked so many long hours with me on the set, presented me with the official
Perfume
movie poster. It was bigger than life! As I gazed out into the crowd, I could see the surprised looks on many of my
Price
co-workers’ faces
.
They had no idea of the depth of my talents and my previous achievements in show business.

As moving as the accolades and praises were, what impacted me the most about that evening was that
The Price Is Right
creator and producer, Mark Goodson, had thought enough of me and the significance of this occasion to personally attend. Mr. Goodson’s attendance was also due, in no small part, to my sister-in-law, Dawn’s, persistence. She was still employed in the Goodson Production office and was on the celebration committee as the event coordinator. Dawn had assured Mr. Goodson and his staff that he would get the royal treatment and the recognition that he deserved when he showed up at the event.

Everyone on the celebration committee wore headsets and stayed in close communication with each other to ensure nothing would go wrong. My dear, sweet husband was always good at cracking the whip (and I don’t mean
just
in the bedroom) to keep everyone on task. Terrence and Dawn made sure that when Mr. Goodson arrived he would be whisked into the venue backstage, flanked by the beautiful hostesses like a rock star with full bodyguard protection. My mother-in-law, Francine Redd, and my dearest girlfriends from the planning committee, Jacci Charleston, Mary Hopkins, Sheila Dean, and Reneé Gentry, made Mr. Goodson feel like the man of the hour when he first appeared on the scene and throughout the night.

It was, indeed, the best part of the evening when Mr. Goodson took center stage and spoke so highly of me and how proud he was to have me as the newest addition to
TPIR
. He boasted about how it was “his idea,” to bring me aboard and how he was glad that “he chose me,” as everyone chuckled. Afterward, Mr. Goodson sat down with the
TPIR
gang and partied for a little while before he graciously made his exit.
The Price Is Right
family was indeed flabbergasted that their boss was on hand for this exceptional occasion, along with so many other VIPs. This event gave them insight into who Kathleen Bradley really was, how much I was loved and embraced by the African-American community, and what my presence on the show meant to so many people of color.

Chapter 4

Dynamite Dian

W
hen it came to voluptuous, sensuous, beautiful women, very few could compare to Dian Parkinson. Dian was the epitome of the blonde bombshell. She was the bikini-wearing queen of all time
—
the skimpier her swimsuits
,
the higher the ratings. She could make a sailboat or the Jacuzzi hot tubs appear obsolete, or make a new car nearly invisible. She had perfect teeth, a warm and inviting smile, an hourglass figure to die for, beautiful blonde hair, and the sweetest personality to match. Blowing kisses to the audience at the end of the show became her signature.

Contrary to popular belief and despite her sexy demeanor on and off stage, Dian was very sensitive and caring. As her dad was a Marine, she was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and brought up in the small town of Falls Church, Virginia by very strict Mormon parents. After getting a taste of the good life in the early seventies after winning numerous beauty contests
,
one of which was Miss World USA
, and
traveling abroad with the Bob Hope U.S.O. Christmas Show in Vietnam, Dian joined the cast of
TPIR
in 1975.

Dian and I had dressing rooms right next to each other, away from the other models. We hit it off right away
;
we were very much alike in many ways. To begin with, we were both well-built brick house babes, likable (especially by the crew), very sensuous, and just good ole fun-loving small town gals enjoying the glam of La-La Land and all it had to offer.

Dian and I shared a lot of heart-to-heart talks on the set, in our dressing rooms, and on the phone at home after work. We formed an incredibly close relationship,
and
I respected and adored her. From what I sensed from her, the feeling was mutual.

I was still a little starry eyed, soaking everything up during this new chance of a lifetime like a sponge. No doubt, I seemed a little naïve at times. Dian was pleased about her close relationship with the newest Barker Beauty. It appeared as though she had me on a string, dangling me in front of Janice and Holly. But I wasn’t born yesterday; little did they know that this little black Beauty was too mature and wise to be used or manipulated by anyone. There was still much to learn about how the show was run and who to trust and not to trust
,
so Dian became my tutor.

Perhaps because I was black, Dian felt comfortable and compelled to share some of her sexual encounters and close relationships she’d had with two well-known black entertainers during her Jungle Fever days. She slowly began to open up and confide in me some of her most intimate secrets about her two special love interests.

Emmy-nominated actor, director, writer, and producer Tim Reid was one of Dian’s true loves. Tim starred in many memorable roles over the years in several television series, but he is probably best known for his role as the cool and very hip radio disc jockey Venus Flytrap on TVs
WKRP in Cincinnati
from 1978 to 1982. Two of my favorite shows in which Tim starred were
Frank’s Place,
and most notably, the 1994 hit comedy series
Sister, Sister.
Tim held one of the starring roles for the entire six-season run as Ray, the father of one of the adopted twins who were separated at birth, as played by Tia and Tamera Mowry. My dear friend Jackée Harry also starred in this sitcom as the mother of the other adopted twin.

Dian and Tim moved in together and shared a house in the San Fernando Valley in 1980 after his divorce from first wife, Rita, and prior to his second marriage to actress Daphne Maxwell. Daphne played Vivian
Banks on the NBC sitcom
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
from 1993 to 1996.
Tim and Dian had a very close and loving relationship that lasted a little over a year. She spoke very highly of Tim and the time they’d spent together and how exceptionally caring he was in the relationship. Dian said, “When I think of Tim, I think of his smile, his laugh, his great sense of humor, and the little private jokes he shared with me in the comfort of our little dream house. Being with Tim was cool and different from most other relationships I’ve been in.”

I asked, “How was he different from your other relationships? Are you referring to the fact that he was the first black man that you ever had a serious relationship with?”

“He taught me a lot about life in general, since I was so sheltered, coming from a Mormon background. He shared with me what it was like growing up as a black male in an all-white society and the struggles he’d encountered and still faces. Tim was obsessed with the television and movie industry. He was so passionate about his acting and producing career. I think because I was content with my
Price Is Right
day job and didn’t really aspire to pursue much more outside of my modeling career, he felt that I was limiting my talents and being complacent.

I really loved him, but in reality, we lived worlds apart. Even though Tim was a highly respected and recognizable TV personality, I never felt comfortable inviting him to come around backstage. I wanted to keep my personal life private and away from the nosy people on the set.”

“Did Holly and Janice know about you and Tim?” I asked.

“Of course they knew
.
Back then, we were all good, close friends and shared everything with each other. Tim visited backstage a few times just to say hello if he was in the building working.”

In spite of a few minor breakthroughs in the television industry for blacks and other minorities, back in the eighties, there was a great deal of dissension, bigotry, and racism that went on backstage at the CBS Studios. Dian was very much aware of what was happening and didn’t care to be a part of the snide remarks and derogatory jokes about blacks, so she chose to keep her relationship with Tim discreet.

She also had a hot, lustful relationship with legendary singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson. Dian acknowledged that she adored Smokey and they had a short-lived fling and would meet occasionally for some of the best sex she had ever had. She admitted that she had never been with a man who was as well-endowed as Smokey and that he was almost too big for her. Needless to say, she kept going back for more of the big “Smokey Dokey.” In reality, she didn’t need to share with me how large Smokey’s dokey was
—
I had encountered it on my own back in the day! I had rendezvoused with Smokey on a few occasions at his favorite spot in Westwood, the Wilshire Comstock Hotel. He always got the same suite because it contained a beautiful grand piano. He would sing a few of his freshly-written songs to me and ask my opinion. Of course, they were all potential hits; after all, Smokey is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. I would like to think that I was
,
perhaps, a little inspiration for one of his hit songs. In talking to Dian, I played it off and acted as if I knew Smokey only on a professional level, through our Motown connections, and that over the years, he had become a close friend.

Then, of course, there was her steamy involvement with Mr. Barker. The relationship between Dian and Barker was in full bloom by the time I had arrived on the set. Their sexual liaison had begun in 1989, and it was a well-kept secret until it gradually became obvious backstage. The more they engaged in their sexual activities, the more noticeable it became to others. They were at a point where they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other in plain view. Dian was known for her flirtatious ways, especially when it came to Barker. Upon her first sighting of Barker when he arrived backstage, she would walk up behind him, tickle his sides, and hug him quickly, but tightly
,
as if to say
, “G
uess who?”

Dian would go into Barker’s dressing room and sit on his lap, playfully running her fingers through his hair while the hairdresser prepped him for the first show with scissors in hand. In fact, the hairdresser and makeup artist had to ask Dian to stop
,
so they could do their jobs.

After a while, visible signs of a close encounter of the first kind became noticeable on the air as well. It was especially evident at the end of the show when Barker, the models, and the winning contestants were waving goodbye. Dian would always manage to get extremely close to Barker, openly flirting as if they were the only two people on stage. It became so apparent that viewers began writing letters, inquiring about what was going on between Dian and Barker. The producers and Barker agreed that he and Dian were to stand on opposite sides of the stage at the end of the show.

Make no mistake
;
Barker was a happy camper when he and Dian were engaging in their hanky-panky. Between the shows, Dian would go into Barker’s dressing room
—
his private sanctuary
—
wearing only her robe and would spend about twenty minutes with him during our lunch break. Otherwise, not a soul dared venture into his dressing room unless they were personally invited. Dian had the all-access backstage pass. It was quite evident what was going on behind the
real
Door Number One.

Since Dian’s dressing room was upstairs, right next to mine, I was aware when she would come and go. Many times, after her quickie with Bob, she would knock on my door to share the details of the encounter. “Barker’s taking his nap. He passed right out with a big smile on his face.” We would both chuckle as she turned to go back to her room and get ready for the second rehearsal. On a few occasions, after her visit to Barker’s room, I had jokingly asked, “How was lunch?” I then pointed out, “You still have a little yogurt around your mouth.” We both cracked up, and that became our little joke.

Dian actually enjoyed having this mystical-like control over Barker (as she did with most men). After all, the power of the vagina and a great blowjob has brought many strong men and nations to their knees. Dian shared a lot of the gory details with me. When Barker would emerge from his dressing room for show time, he’d have the biggest, brightest grin on his face, as if he had just had a divine experience
—
which no doubt he had.

Dian said that she had visited Barker’s Hollywood home on several occasions and she felt very comfortable in his bedroom. She said, “We have more space and freedom at his home to explore each other’s erotic zones
,
and the best part is that we can make all the noise we want and don’t have to worry about being disturbed like in his dressing room. Sometimes, he likes to get on all fours and he whimpers and growls like a puppy, not a big dog, but a cute, little puppy in heat. What a turn on!”

Dian swore me to secrecy, and I promised I would never reveal to anyone, not even my husband, what she had confided with me about what went on between the sheets with her and Barker. I never revealed a word to anyone
—
back then. It was absolutely
,
positively a mutual relationship between two lustful, consenting adults.
Ruff, ruff!