Twin Cities Radio: Longtime Host Tom Barnard Unveils Alzheimers

Ton Barnard

Veteran radio host Tom Barnard has revealed he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, sharing the news during a recent episode of The Tom Barnard Podcast while saying his condition has shown some improvement with treatment.

Barnard, best known for his decades-long run on KQRS, told listeners the diagnosis is “not generally good news,” but added that his symptoms have been getting “better little by little” as he undergoes ongoing, unspecified treatments. He said he has noticed small improvements after multiple treatments, though he acknowledged there is currently no cure and expressed hope that the disease does not progress.

He also said the treatments have progressed well enough that he has been invited to speak about his experience at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida property owned by Donald Trump.

Details about when Barnard was diagnosed were not disclosed, but his wife and podcast co-host, Kathryn Brandt, said concerns about his health emerged following his 2022 departure from KQRS. She described a period marked by depression, financial stress, and noticeable memory issues that raised alarms for the family.

Brandt said Barnard is currently in a “mild” stage of the disease and remains largely self-sufficient, though the diagnosis comes after what the couple described as an already difficult period involving personal and financial challenges.

Before transitioning to podcasting, Barnard spent 37 years hosting The Morning Show on KQRS, which at its peak in the 1990s was the highest-rated morning radio program in the United States, cementing his status as one of the most recognizable voices in American radio.