In 1972, a lot of big things were happening. Don McLean’s song “American Pie” was at the top of the charts, Richard Nixon was president, and his administration was dealing with the Watergate scandal.
NASA’s Space Shuttle program was also starting, and Bob Barker had just begun hosting a new game show called “The Price is Right,” where brand new cars were valued at less than $4,000.
Bob Barker, famous for hosting “The Price is Right,” is a well-known name across generations.
He hosted the game show for an incredible 35 years.
This year, Bob Barker is celebrating his 100th birthday.
Bob Barker grew up on an Indian reservation in South Dakota and is a member of the Sioux Tribe. He met his future wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, at an Ella Fitzgerald concert. Barker married Gideon, his high school sweetheart, in 1945 while he was on leave from the U.S. Navy Reserve. Although he trained as a fighter pilot during World War II, he never served on active duty. He later graduated with a degree in economics.
At 99 years old, Barker first gained fame while hosting a radio show in Los Angeles. He caught the eye of Ralph Edwards, a game show producer looking for a new host for “Truth or Consequences,” the first game show to be broadcast on TV. Barker hosted “Truth or Consequences” from 1956 to 1975, which helped build his popularity. In 1967, he also began hosting the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
The big break came in 1972 when Barker began hosting “The Price is Right.” This role catapulted him and the show to superstardom.
“The Price is Right” became the longest-running game show in history, a record it still holds. Bob Barker, who served as the show’s executive producer starting in 1988, won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and four Emmys for his role as executive producer.
Barker often credits his late wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, for his success. In a 2008 interview, he said, “She gave me the confidence to even try to do what I set out to do. She didn’t just urge me on; she worked right at my side.”