Joe Barber

Sad news to pass along from the world of radio: Joe Barber, the entertainment editor at WTOP who spent 20 years as a film and theater critic for various broadcast and print outlets, was found dead at his Washington home today. According to WTOP, Barber died of natural causes; he was 53.

Barber had been at WTOP since 1997, during which he became well-known for his Saturday morning segments — featuring “Barber’s Best Bets” — on the movies, theater and concerts happening around town. Barber was also a fixture on the WETA show “Around Town”. During his career, Barber had also contributed to NBC’s Today show, as well as the Washington Post, while serving as a frequent panelist during events organized by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and the American Film Institute.

A sample of Barber’s reviews are cataloged online here.