Kylene Barker

Last updated

D. Kylene Barker
Kylene Barker postcard (cropped).png
Barker as Miss America 1979
Born (1955-11-11) 11 November 1955 (age 68)
Nationality American
Alma mater Virginia Tech
Occupation(s)Clothing and Textiles
TitleMiss Pulaski County 1978
Miss Virginia 1978
Miss America 1979
Predecessor Susan Perkins
Successor Cheryl Prewitt
Spouses
James Brandon
(m. 1979,divorced)
Ralph Hibbard
(m. 1992;died 2002)
Ian McNeill
(m. 2007)

Kylene Barker (born 11 November 1955 [1] ) is an American pageant winner from Galax, Virginia who was Miss Virginia 1978 and Miss America 1979. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Barker was born in Galax, Virginia to father Kyle and mother Dolores (deceased 2006). [2] She attended Oakland Elementary School, Woodlawn Intermediate School, [4] Carroll County High School [2] and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [2] where she earned a degree in clothing and textiles in 1978. [2]

Pageants

Barker won the Miss Pulaski County pageant, the Miss Virginia pageant in July 1978, and the Miss America 1979 pageant on 9 September 1978. [2] [5] Her talent performance at the Miss America pageant was gymnastics. [6] In 1986 the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Barker received pageant earnings of approximately $100,000. [7]

According to People.com she was also "Most Valuable Cheerleader 1974". [8]

Career

During her year of service as Miss America, Barker signed a lease on a shop at 309 Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, and opened a dress shop called "D. Kylene" (the "D" stood for Danice). [7] [8] The business (which she operated for thirteen years [3] ) closed in 1992. [5]

In 1983, Gemcon Inc. published an audio book produced by Barker called Stamina with Style. [3] On 1 October 1984, Simon & Schuster published a book (Southern Beauty: A Total Fitness and Beauty Program for That Winning, All-American Look) that Barker co-wrote with Sherry Suib Cohen. [3]

Barker has acted as spokesperson for several corporations including: "Clairol, the Manmade Fiber Producer's Association, The Palm Aire Spa, the Made in the USA Council", [3] and the US Sugar Association. [7] She also produced fashion shows for "the American Yarn Spinners Association, the America Textile Manufacturers Association and companies associated with the Crafted with Pride Council". [3]

Barker's television appearances included reports for NBC's Today Show, CNN's Crossfire, and Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. [3] In 1979, she appeared on the Donny and Marie television show (episode #4.3) as herself in the role of Miss America.

Kylene was appointed to the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors. [3]

Personal life

In March 1979, Barker became engaged to James Brandon (a Roanoke businessman). [9] They met in Nassau while he was working on a book titled "Simply Beautiful", and they later married. [9] On 28 August 1986 James Brandon was arrested on charges of "conspiracy, mail and bankruptcy fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property". [7] Barker and Brandon appeared together in court over the affair, and co-signed a $75,000 personal surety bond which ensured Brandon's release from custody. [7]

In the 1990s, Barker moved to Canada with her second husband Ralph Hibbard. He died of cancer in 2002. [2]

In 2007, Barker married Canadian businessman Ian McNeill. [3] They reside in both Muskoka, Ontario [2] and Naples, Florida. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galax, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America</span> Annual competition in the United States

Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: Private Interview (30%) – a 10-minute press conference-style interview with a panel of judges, On Stage Question (10%) – answering a judge's question onstage, Talent or HER Story (20%) – a performance talent or 90 second speech, Health and Fitness (20%) – demonstrated physical fitness onstage dressed in athletic wear, and Evening Gown (20%) – modeling evening-wear onstage.

Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, when the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, Miss USA for 2008 prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization.

The Miss West Virginia competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of West Virginia in the Miss America Pageant.

The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represented Virginia in the Miss America pageant since the 1930s. Four Miss Virginia winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America, including former national titleholder Caressa Cameron.

The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.

The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 1979</span>

Miss America 1979, the 52nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 9, 1978 on NBC Network.

Miss America 1980, the 53rd Miss America pageant, was televised from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 8, 1979 by the NBC Television Network. Cheryl Prewitt was the third woman from Mississippi to win the title. She was crowned by Kylene Barker of Virginia, Miss America 1979.

<i>Donny & Marie</i> (1976 TV series) Television series

Donny & Marie is an American variety show that aired on ABC from January 1976 to May 1979. The show starred brother-and-sister pop duo Donny and Marie Osmond. Donny had first become popular singing in a music group with his brothers, The Osmonds, and Marie was one of the youngest singers to reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Carroll County is a United States county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one fifth of the county lies in the Virginia Piedmont region, while the rest is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The county seat and only town is Hillsville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodlawn High School (Woodlawn, Virginia)</span> School in Woodlawn, Virginia, United States

Woodlawn High School, later known as Woodlawn School, was a public secondary school located in Carroll County, Virginia, at Woodlawn, Virginia. The school served students in all grades, one through twelve, for much of its history. The last academic year as a high school was 1968-1969. One hundred and four seniors graduated in the final class of 1969. The following year all tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students became part of the new Carroll County High School (Virginia). After 136 years of service the Carroll County School Board voted to close the school in 2013. The school was repurposed and refurbished as “Woodlawn School Apartments”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America 2016</span> 89th edition of the Miss America competition

Miss America 2016, the 89th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sunday, September 13, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and streamed to mobile devices and Xbox 360 consoles via the WatchABC app. Tickets for the 2016 Miss America competition went on sale June 5, 2015.

The Miss Virginia's Teen competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Miss America's Teen pageant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah Lane</span>

Savannah Morgan Lane is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Midlothian, Virginia, who was crowned Miss Virginia 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015 and placed in the top 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Garrett</span>

Courtney Paige Garrett is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Pamplin City, Virginia, who was chosen as Miss Virginia's Outstanding Teen 2009 and crowned Miss Virginia 2014. She competed for the Miss America 2015 title in September 2014 and was named first runner-up.

The Crooked Road is a heritage trail in Southwestern Virginia, that explores the musical history of the region along Southwest Virginia's Blue Ridge and Cumberland Mountains. The Crooked Road winds through almost 300 miles of scenic terrain in southwest Virginia, including 19 counties, four cities, and 54 towns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2018</span>

Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2018 was the 12th Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant held at the Linda Chapin Theatre in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on July 29, 2017, the same date as Miss Teen USA 2017. Nicole Jia of Oklahoma crowned her successor Jessica Baeder of Alabama at the end of the event. This was the first time that Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen captured the title of Miss America's Outstanding Teen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007</span>

Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007 was the second Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant, held at the Linda Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, on August 19, 2006.

References

  1. "Miss America says the money secondary to chances for travel". Deseret News. 10 November 1978. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ralph Berrier Jr. (28 June 2008). "Catching up a former Miss Virginia and Miss America". Roanoke.com. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "1979". missamerica.org. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  4. Raider 1979 (Woodlawn school yearbook) p. 25.
  5. 1 2 Christian Moody. "Memory Makers. Where are they now?". vtmagazine.vt.edu. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  6. "Miss America 1979". PBS. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 JAMES H. TOLPIN (29 August 1986). "Ex-beauty Queen`s Husband Surrenders To Fbi Agents". sun-sentinel.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  8. 1 2 Kristin McMurran (26 March 1979). "There She Goes, Bert Parks Serenades—but Off to Dedicate Parking Lots?". People.com. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Barker-Brandon Announce Engagement at Local Party". Palm Beach Daily News. 13 March 1979. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss America
1979
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Terri Bartlett
Miss Virginia
1978
Succeeded by
Paige Brown