Barry Bremen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Barry Bremen[1] June 30, 1947 |
| Died | June 30, 2011 (aged 64) |
| 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 | Margo |
| Children | at least 40[2] |
Barry Bremen (June 30, 1947[3] – June 30, 2011)[1] was a West Bloomfield, Michigan, insurance[4] and novelty goods salesman[1] and marketing executive[3] known in the sports world as The Great Imposter. From the period 1979 to 1986, the 6'4",[5] "lean"[6] 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."[5]
He is known to be the biological donor father of at least 40 children.[7]
- ^ a b c d e Vitello, Paul (July 10, 2011). "Barry Bremen, Professional Impostor, Dies at 64". New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- ^ Chandler Engelbrecht (July 11, 2022). "The Great Imposter and Me: New ESPN documentary reveals Detroiter Barry Bremen's biggest secret". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ a b Lynch, Eamon. "That Man's An Imposter: Former NFL cheerleader Barry Bremen crashed the 1985 U.S. Open," Golf magazine (2005). Retrieved July 17, 2008.
- ^ Kenyon, J. Michael. "Real action in '79 was outside the lines," Seattle Post-Intelligencer (July 6, 2001). Retrieved July 17, 2008.
- ^ a b Greenwalt, Julie. "When Barry Bremen Tried to Infiltrate the Dallas Cowgirls, the Team Found It a Drag," People, vol. 13, no. 2 (Jan. 14, 1980).
- ^ Rubin, Neal. "Great Impostor sidelined today," Detroit News (February 5, 2006). Retrieved July 15, 2008.
- ^ Chandler Engelbrecht (July 11, 2022). "The Great Imposter and Me: New ESPN documentary reveals Detroiter Barry Bremen's biggest secret". Detroit Free Press.