Tom Barnard

Inducted 2018

Tom Barnard was born in Long Prairie, Minnesota and grew-up in North Minneapolis with six brothers and sisters. He began working at age eleven and was raised almost entirely by his mother. Tom’s iconic radio career began in 1970 and continues today.

In the ‘80s and ‘90s Tom became one of the top 5 voice-over artists in America voicing for brands such as, Gatorade, McDonalds, Nike, and Home Depot. Tom was the station voice for Twin Cities television pioneers, KSTP-TV.

In 1977 Tom took a break from radio and worked for Capitol Records helping to promote the careers of artists like Bob Seger, Steve Miller, Beach Boys, and Duran-Duran.

1986 proved to be a pivotal year in Tom’s career, when he joined KQRS as morning host. His ability as a keen interviewer along with his sense of humor and transparency with his audience attracted celebrities worldwide to the KQ Morning Show.

Tom received the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi award for “Large Market Personality of the Year” in 2006 and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago in 2017.