Bob Barker - Biography

Last Editor: marveliar				Bob Barker Biography -   Name : Bob Barker Birth name : Robert William Barker Date of birth : December 12, 1923 Place of birth : Darrington, Washington, USA Profession : TV anchor & Game Show Host (1956-2007) Height : 6' 1" Spouse : Dorothy Jo Gideon (12 January 1945 - 19 October 1981 till her death)

Bob Barker Trivia -

In September 20, 1999, he underwent surgery at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC, to clear a severe blockage in his left carotid artery, which carries blood to the brain. He was in Washington to meet with congressmen to try to get elephants banned from circuses and traveling shows. He has fourteen Emmies as "outstanding game show host" of "The New Price Is Right" (1972), winning in 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990-1992, 1994-1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007. In 1994 he was sued for sexual harassment by one of the models on "The New Price Is Right" of 1972. Long-time host of Miss USA Beauty Pageant. He attended Springfield Central High School and graduated in 1941. Started dating Dorothy Jo Gideon on November 17, 1939, and went to hear Ella Fitzgerald. Barker hosted two of the longest-running game shows in television history. He hosted "Truth or Consequences" of 1950 for 18 years, followed by "The New Price Is Right" of 1972 for 35 years, surpassing "What's My Line?" for 1950, which had a 17-year run. Barker and Syd Vinnedge, a senior executive with FremantleMedia (formerly Pearson Television) presented $500,000 to the Harvard Law School to fund courses on animal rights law. The gift is being given by FremantleMedia in honor of Barker's 30 years as host of "The New Price Is Right" of 1972 and his long involvement with the animal rights movement. FremantleMedia produces Barker's long-running CBS game show. He broke the record set by Johnny Carson for hosting the same network TV show continuously, with 29 years, 7 months, 22 days as host of "The New Price Is Right". He has a black belt in karate. Also earned a red belt in tang soo do karate under Chuck Norris. In December 1999 he made his Hollywood home - a 1929 5,000sq.ft. Spanish Colonial Revival-style house - designated a historic-cultural monument by the city of Los Angeles. His father, Byron John Barker, a power-line foreman, died in 1929 from complications after falling off a pole. In 1987, he requested and received permission from "The New Price Is Right" Producers and network executives to stop coloring his hair and allow it to go gray, a move that met with approval from his fans. He is a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. Barker was enlisted in the United States Navy on November 24, 1942. He was assigned the service number 7033834 and became a naval aviation cadet on June 10, 1943. He was commissioned an ensign on December 6, 1944 and served on active duty until November 24, 1945. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. He served as a Flight Officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He remained on the rolls of the Naval Reserve until December 7, 1960, when he was discharged from service as a lieutenant junior grade. He had the two biggest winners in the history of "The New Price Is Right" one was a Pepperdine University student who won $88,865 in cars/prizes. Twelve years later, on his 6,000th show, the other contestant won $97,130 in cars/prizes. Before she became a game show hostess, Vanna White was one of his former contestants. He created and ran "The Bob Barker Fun and Games Show", which were personal appearances by him at parties and social events. They utilized aspects of his two shows, "Truth or Consequences" (and "The New Price Is Right". He did these until the mid-1980s. He won an MTV Movie Award for his fight scene with Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore in 1996, during which he uttered the immortal line, "Now you've had enough... bitch". On October 31, 2006, he announced his retirement as host of "The New Price Is Right" effective in June, 2007. He later announced the date would be June 15th. In 2006, he donated $1,000,000 to Georgetown University to endow a fund at its law school that will focus on the study of animal rights.

Bob Barker Detailed Biography -

Bob Barker (born Robert William Barker on December 12, 1923) is an American television game show host best known for The Price Is Right. Born in Darrington, Washington, he grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Rosebud, South Dakota, where his mother was a schoolteacher. Mr. Barker went to Drury College in Springfield, Missouri on a basketball scholarship. He was a member of the Epsilon Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity at Drury. His education was interrupted by World War II. Barker served in the Navy as a fighter pilot. However, the war ended before he was assigned to a seagoing squadron. After the war, he returned to Drury to finish his education, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in economics. He was hosting an audience-participation radio show in L.A., when game show producer Ralph Edwards happened to be listening and liked Barker's voice and style. In 1956, he took over hosting of the game show Truth or Consequences. The show made Barker a star; he was clearly a natural whose charisma and charm connected with contestants and viewers. He would host it for 18 years.