“Here’s The Story”      

One of my favorite television sitcom characters of all time has got to be groovy Greg Brady of the 1969-74 television masterpiece, “The Brady Bunch.”

What a kool kat. He played guitar and sang, always finished his homework, made first string on the football team, fit the Johnny Bravo suit, could dance the Charleston, took on the Hawaiian Islands via surfboard and made a UFO appear out of nowhere. 

After being a fan for so long, well, “Something Suddenly Came Up.” All my years of watching “The Brady Bunch” and it’s reincarnations paid off when the opportunity to meet Barry “Greg Brady” Williams, albeit for a few minutes, erupted like Peter’s volcano. 

The actor was scheduled for a book signing to help promote his memoir “Growing Up Brady — I Was A Teenage Greg” at a local bookstore in May 2000. It was one of those dream assignments I get every now and then as a staff writer for C&G Newspapers in Warren, Michigan. I was going to meet Greg Brady. I was nervous, excited, happy. Granted, I was no Marcia, but I still got dressed up in my leopard print skirt and high heels. 

    Around 250 Brady Bunch devotees showed up to meet Mr. Williams. Neat-o. I talked to people standing in line who had various reasons for liking the show. It was great to connect with admirers who loved and appreciated “The Brady Bunch” as much as I did. 

    

    When he arrived, Williams immediately slapped hands with people in the crowd (this was pre-COVID) and lived up to his reputation as the Casanova of Clinton Way. Through a microphone, he took several questions and even broke into “It’s A Sunshine Day,” when someone asked him his favorite Brady Bunch song. It made me like him even more. 

                                                                                

(Photo by Edward Osinski, and used with permission from C&G Newspapers.) 

I wanted to interview Williams for a story, so store personnel sat me at a table behind him as he graciously signed autographs and posed for photos. I don’t know why they put me there; it was a bit awkward. I hadn’t had a chance to introduce myself, so I don’t know if he thought I worked at the store or was some kind of stalker. But I stuck around so I could meet him face-to-face. At one point, he turned to me and asked me for some paper towel. I guess he spilled a little water. What am I, Alice The Maid? Just kidding.

I guess it was a good place for me to be because I could see up close how he engaged with his fans. He was super, super nice to everyone. It was easy to see he loved meeting his fans and still had a soft spot for his co-stars. A “bunch” of us laughed when he signed an autograph for someone in the crowd named Marcia. 

When the meet-and-greet was over, I finally got my big chance to do a quick interview before he had to go. My moment with him seemed rushed, but unforgettable. 

    “I’m pleased and thrilled the show is re-discovered every few years,” Williams told me. “The show’s had a remarkable kind of history. It’s good, wholesome, family programming.” He said his favorite episodes included Johnny Bravo, the three-part Hawaii series and “when I turned Mike’s den into a super-groovy bachelor pad.” He auditioned for the role of Greg three times and was up against 1,000 other child actors for the part. Far out. 

    “For Maria, the most beautiful sound I ever heard, Barry Williams,” was how he autographed my “Growing Up Brady” copy, which the actor and Chris Kreski co-wrote. 

Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!

        In Harmony, Maria Allard