Who’s F. Harry Stow? [PHIL-OSOPHY]

He took an immediate liking to me and me to him. You could easily describe our bond as authentic, uplifting and from the soul.

To survive, much less be successful in competitive broadcasting on the national level, you need to find a tutor, advisor and spiritual leader rolled up in one. Good luck finding that kind of mystic in these times.

But I am that fortuitous. His name is Barry Farber, one of the 10 greatest broadcasters of all time. Barry is more than a magnificent radio host; he's a storyteller of the truth. In the most gentle manner, he schooled me to articulate my point of view by presenting it in a personal story so that the listener could pick up on that connection and spirit.

Aside from being a patriarch of talk radio, including ABC Radio Network's original talk stable, Barry has knowledge of 25 languages, including the Greek that we'd converse in when he'd visit us at the Shawmut Diner or when we'd be at conventions. He wrote a book, How to Learn Any Language, that teaches his method of self-study.

One time, just before going on-air together, we were chatting around the dinner table at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, when he asked if I knew F. Harry Stow. I said I wasn't familiar with the guy. He slapped his thigh and roared. He said, "You speak Greek fluently and yet you don't know F. Harry Stow?"

Yes, it's a man's name, but it's also how you say "thank you" in Greek! In his soft southern drawl, he kidded me that you can educate a fool but you can't make him think.

I'm sharing with you a small part of the story of Barry Farber and his esteem on my life because his daughter, Celia, announced via Twitter that her beloved father, and my much-loved friend, passed away last night at the age 90.

F. Harry Stow for a rich, beautiful and eternal friendship.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.