Bob Barker, the longtime host of CBS’ daytime recreation present The Price Is Right, died on Saturday. He was 99.
Barker died of pure causes at his home, his consultant confirmed to TMZ.
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“We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker,” CBS stated in a press release. “During his 35 years as host of The Price Is Right, Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down.’ In addition to his legendary 50-year career in broadcasting, Bob will be remembered as a dedicated animal rights activist. Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars.”
For 35 years, Barker served as host of The Price Is Right, beginning with the present model’s premiere in 1972. Wielding his signature skinny microphone whereas taking bids from contestants, Barker was a beloved staple of daytime TV, serving to make The Price Is Right a constant rankings winner and the longest-running recreation present in TV historical past. He retired in 2007, handing the thin mic over to present host Drew Carey.
“Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world,” Carey wrote on Twitter following the information of Barker’s loss of life. “There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.”
Fellow former recreation present hosts Peter Marshall (Hollywood Squares) and Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough) additionally launched statements honoring Barker.
“Long before I became an emcee, I admired Bob Barker very much,” Marshall stated. “He was great at what he did, quite wonderful. I can’t claim to have been close to Bob, but when together at events we always talked about our shared love of animals. I hope everyone knows what he did for animal welfare.”
“In the history of televised game shows, no one is more synonymous with host than Bob Barker,” Martindale’s assertion learn. “The word that always came to my mind when the name Bob Barker was mentioned was superlative. And Bob defined the meaning of preparation. Tape never rolled until Bob is ready. And that meant prepared. It was my distinct honor and privilege to call Bob my friend for a number of years. To chat with Bob about his career was both interesting and meaningful. Bob was so successful, because he was a simple and natural talent. May he rest in peace.”
After serving in World War II as a Navy fighter pilot, Barker kicked off his broadcasting profession in radio within the Fifties. He hosted the stunt-heavy TV recreation present Truth or Consequences for almost twenty years, together with a number of different short-lived recreation reveals, earlier than taking the internet hosting job at The Price Is Right. He went on to win a complete of 17 Emmys, together with a lifetime achievement award in 1999.
Barker’s tenure as The Price Is Right host was marred by a quantity of lawsuits filed towards him, together with an notorious 1994 sexual harassment go well with filed by TPIR mannequin Dian Parkinson, alleging a three-year affair with Barker. Several different fashions and workers sued Barker for wrongful termination and gender discrimination, and have been awarded monetary settlements out of courtroom.
A passionate animal-rights activist, Barker grew to become a vegetarian in 1979 and donated tens of millions to animal-advocacy charities. After the 1981 loss of life of his spouse Dorothy Jo, who impressed his love of animals, he ended every Price Is Right broadcast with the sign-off line: “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.” He hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants from 1967 to 1987, however stepped down when organizers refused to take away fur prizes from the pageants.
Along along with his work on The Price Is Right, Barker appeared as himself on a variety of TV reveals, together with How I Met Your Mother, The Nanny and Family Guy. He additionally had a memorable cameo in Adam Sandler’s 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore, getting right into a fistfight with Sandler’s character on the golf course.
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