[LenGroat]

I seem to be the first to hear the sad news that David has passed away, I heard from a friend of his on FB.

I don’t think I ever met David but ever since the Metro Radio days when I first sent him cassettes of jingles he’s been in touch and we all know how devoted he was to the world of jingles.

If you would like to know more I can put you in touch with his friend Brian Smith.

Len

[roymartin]

This is really sad news, but thanks for letting us know Len.

It goes without saying how much we will miss David and his amazing contributions he’s made to JingleMad over the last decade.

I’ve got an inbox full of emails between us, some very recent, and am grateful for the many jingles he’s shared with this community, and sent to me on DVD to help launch JingleMad Radio.

My thoughts are with his family.

Roy

[IainJohnstonMember]

This is a terrible shock – have we some information or confirmation on whats happened?
Iain Johnston

[simon_t123Member]

Oh that is just so very sad … I enjoyed some conversations with David only this year, he even offered a trade providing me with one of my modern holy grails, a real ‘jingle’ gent and thus a sad loss, what can one say at such news ? other than if there is (and there IS) a jingle heaven, then I’m very sure David will be popping by !!!)

… Rest in peace Mr Barras

[jonnoMember]

This is the most terrible news.

I had exchanged emails and jingles with David on and off over the last 9 years. 99% of the time he was sending me material as my collection paled into insignificance compared to his! He was always most helpful providing additions to my collection or contributing specific items to help me complete montage projects.

My thoughts and condolences to his family.

John Stringer.

[passajou]

Im really sad. We lost a great guy…

[Admin]

I’m totally speechless.

David has been a close friend since the early 90’s and we’ve been in constant contact pretty much every other day since. He traveled with me to Dallas in 2004 and spent over 10 hours at JAM which he said was the “best day” of his life.

Nobody loved jingles more than David. He was a dedicated collector and would keep everything he could get his hands on. I’ve lost a really good friend and JAM have lost their biggest fan.

Condolences to his family, especially his son Jack. This will be his first Christmas without Daddy.

RIP big guy. I’m gonna miss you mate.

N –

[SeanMartin]

What sad news this is. The Christmas card is written, but not sent.

David was big. Big on generosity, big on JAM and big on humanity and humility. I really will miss him.

Condolences to his partner and son.

Goodbye JAMfan.

[mumoss]

This is such a shock.

Unlike some here, I can’t say I got to know David well – but we exchanged a few emails over the past year or two. He was always so lovely when I sent him audio from Dallas, and he helped me out with a few things too – often things I didn’t ask for, but he just thought I’d be interested in.

I was just thinking the other day how much he’d get a kick out of a jingle I ordered last month. Now he’ll never hear it.

I hope he knew exactly how much people respected and liked him on here. He’s one of those people who inspires me to be a better person and give others more of my time. But I’ll never manage that as much as he did.

[DevawebMember]

This is really sad news.

I first met David at Sun FM where we were both presenters; I did the Saturday night overnight and he was on Sunday breakfast… and we stayed in touch ever since.

His love of jingles was second to none… as was his knowledge of the North East radio scene. With airchecks of pretty much every jock, and every radio-related newspaper cutting, sticker and promotional item, if he didn’t have it, it wasn’t worth having!

May he rest in peace, and with many harmonies.

[mbMember]

It’s hard to be poignant and find the words when we lose someone.
David was a big part of our jingle community – fun & generous.
It is deeply saddening but all the more so for his family and close friends and especially his son and my thoughts are with them.
In these days of downloads and file sharing it’s all so much easier David was of the generation of waiting for a padded envelope to plop through the letterbox and good natured swapping.
I will miss his contributions, generosity, and presence in discussions and threads. He helped make jingleMad the best online home of jingles.

[rakMember]

This is very sad News. I was introduced to David in London by Neal, at least 10 years ago. As well as a bit of trading we had a trip into the old Metro Radio studios in Swalwell with Colin Ridley, shortly before they relocated to Newcastle. I don’t think there was a bigger Metro fan (maybe Colin!).

I last saw David 3 or 4 years ago, when I went to South Shields for a New Year’s Day jingle session, and a tour of the radio memorabilia he’d accumulated. A good afternoon.

A sad loss, and condolences to Carole and Jack at an especially hard time of year.

David

[IainJohnstonMember]

As an “old timer” Collector from back in the 1970s, and my re-discovering this hobby in the “Internet Era”, David was one of the first of a newer generation of Collectors that I’ve had the privilege of getting to know, albeit electronically.

Time & time again he provided me with modern digital dubs of long-lost analogue tape stuff that I thought I’d never get to hear again, as well trusting me with copies galore of items from that (in)famous “Embargoed” category. He also happily hoovered-up anything original that I could offer him.

His love & enthusiasm for our hobby was only matched by his generosity to other Collectors, and his contributions to this Forum were immense, both visibly in postings & Barras Montages audio etc as well as in all sorts of behind-the-scenes email blethers and much more.

Sorry to see you go Big Man – Thank You for all the things you did for all of us.

[Welshjingler]

Huge shock and sadness to read this news today. Even though I didn’t know David personally but would like to send my deepest sympathy to his family.

[RjM]

Very sad to hear. David was always willing to help, especially when I was starting out collecting about ten years ago (with a JAM Metro package of course!)

Condolences to his family, I hope they know how just how large a contribution he made to Jinglemad, and jingle collecting.

[bossjockMember]

What sad news. Like some others, I didn’t know David very well, or for very long, but we have exchanged a few emails (and audio) over the last couple of years and he was always willing to help with specific stuff, whenever possible. Always friendly and helpful, he will be missed on many levels.

Condolences and sympathy to his family at this difficult time.

[JAM / PAMSMember]

This is very sad news. There is a world outside of jingles, and it will be diminished because of this loss. Of course, I will always appreciate the degree to which David was a fan of our work. He’ll be missed here and everywhere. Our sincere condolences to David’s extended family.

[ratnobMember]

I never met David in person, yet I feel I knew him very well. In fact, he’s in my address book in a category containing just two names and labelled ‘Jingle Funsters’ (the other is Neal Bowden).

Ten years ago I discovered JingleMad and got back into my childhood passion for jingles. David made contact and I immediately warmed to him and knew I could trust him.

As a result I took the hundreds of cassettes and reels that were stashed in the attic and sent them to him. This felt like a daring step. We know there are many charlatans out there who might have received the goods and then done a runner.

But true to his word, over several months, David made converted all into MP3 files and returned my collection to me in that new digital form. I’ll never forget his jubilant emails when he discovered some particularly prized items in the depths of my collection (eg the KEGL ‘Rock of Texas’ jingles from JAM).

Since then he has shared jingles and conversations with me, and I don’t think there have been many weeks when I haven’t heard from him or shared some insight into a new cut, package or station, or when I haven’t quizzed him for an answer from his encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject and his meticulously organised records

He was undoubtedly one of the good guys, and I know just how much he thought of his wife and young son.

These things seem to happen too often, leaving us shaken and aware of just how fragile our lives are.

All I can say is that I feel it was a privilege to have known David, to have shared with him this odd little obsession with things called jingles, and to have been a part of his too-brief life.

David: we’re going to miss you very much. You were King of the Collectors.

My thoughts are with his family.

Geoff Barton
Suffolk
Thursday 6 December, 17:33

[m_hodgeyMember]

I’m shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the sudden departure of a great jingle friend and a truly valued member of this community; JingleMad will not be the same without you.

David was one of the “good guys” and probably the one person I have exchanged and shared jingles with the most over the 10 years I have known him.

I will truly miss our exchange of jingles, but more than that, I will miss the great email communications we had.

My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

RIP David.

[glen]

Oh wow! David I traded when first got into the jingle collecting business.
He encouraged me to keep my head up at all times.
I traded some demos for a WNBC BEST SHOW remixes along with WIRL.
The last contact I had with him was a couple months back when he sent me some of Toby’s There’s Only One WEEE remixes.
Along with a recording session he sat on with Jon involving KTIL RADIO 80 miles from my house in Oregon. He sent me a copy of the recording session and sent him cuts of the final product I got from the station.
David you were as Geoff SAID THE KING OF COLLECTORS!

[mjb1124Member]

Very sad and shocking news. I didn’t have as much history or personal correspondence with Mr. Barras as a lot of you did, but he became a familiar and comforting presence on this board. I will miss his great contributions, and only wish I had gotten to interact with him more. May he rest in peace.

[MarkSMember]

This is such sad news.
My sincere condolences to David’s family.

[professor1036]

Very sad news, which has come as a shock when informed by Neal.

I didn’t know David very well, my communication with him was via this site although I’ve been aware of him for a long time. He was always very helpful here at JM. He will be sadly missed…

May I take this opportunity to send my condolences to David’s family.

Paul

[Bigdave]

The man simply known on here as “Barras” is owed an immense debt of gratitude by all that crossed his path. His kindness and generosity to this site and new collectors,alongside his immense knowledge of the jingle business,and a shared love for JAM made him one of the good guys.

I have in front in me the very first tape Dave sent me when I first started my jingle jaunt in the early 90’s,and the note that came with it. It simply says… “enjoy. This tape is full of the good stuff that you’ll come to appreciate” . And what a tape it was . Priority One,Positron,the Steve England Piccadilly Resings,Dimension Two,Country JAM and You’ve Got It on side 1 and a JAM montage on Side 2.

He knew exactly what buttons to press jingle wise,and to receive such a great tape so early in my jingle trading timeline was a huge thrill. And he was right – I did learn to appreciate the “good stuff”. Over the years,the tapes became Mini Discs,which became CD’s and even in the days of MP3,there was still the odd time we could surprise each other with something new and exciting.

I am extremely proud to have known Dave.He will leave a huge hole to fill in the jingle collecting world,and we will all miss him here. Tonight,play the JAM song at least once to celebrate his life – you know he’d appreciate it…

May our thoughts and prayers be with his family on this sad day.

[Tracy CarmanMember]

For some things there are just no words! My deepest condolences to his family.

[Author]

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