Barry Bremen
| Barry | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Barry Bremen June 30, 1947 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | June 30, 2011 (aged 64) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | insurance salesman/marketing executive/novelty goods salesman |
| Years active | 1979–1986 |
| Known for | prolific sports impersonations |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Title | The Great Imposter |
| Spouse(s) | Margo |
| Children | 3 |
Barry Bremen (June 30, 1947 – June 30, 2011) was a West Bloomfield, Michigan, insurance and novelty goods salesman and marketing executive known in the sports world as The Great Imposter. From the period 1979 to 1986, the 6'4", "lean" Bremen posed as a Major League Baseball umpire in the World Series, a player in a Major League Baseball All-Star Game, a player in a National Basketball Association All-Star Game, a referee in the National Football League, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and a professional golfer. He also posed as an Emmy Award accepter.
Bremen was a self-proclaimed jock who regularly played touch football, basketball and softball. His wife Margo, in a 1980 People magazine profile of the imposter, said Bremen was "fulfilling a grand fantasy to be in the limelight. He feels if you have no guts you have no glory in your life." His advice to other impostors: "Don't do it. It's against the law. Stay away. This is my act."
The stunt that started it all was on February 4, 1979, when Bremen donned a Kansas City Kings uniform and got onto the floor during pre-game warmups for the NBA All-Star Game at the Pontiac Silverdome. (He was outed by genuine All-Star Otis Birdsong, who really did play for Kansas City: "How come you're on my team, and I don't know you?")
Bremen repeated that act in a Houston Rockets uniform at the 1981 All-Star Game at the Richfield Coliseum.
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