Bob Barker
Robert William Barker (December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023) was an American media personality and animal rights advocate. He hosted CBS's The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.
Bob Barker | |
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Barker in 1975 | |
| Born | Robert William Barker December 12, 1923 Darrington, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | August 26, 2023 (aged 99) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills |
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| Education | Drury University (BA) |
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| Years active |
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| Television |
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| Spouse |
Dorothy Jo Gideon
(m. 1945; died 1981) |
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Born in Darrington, Washington, in modest circumstances, Barker spent most of his youth on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and was a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. He joined the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. Barker worked part-time in radio while attending college. In 1950, he moved to California to pursue a broadcasting career. He was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which ran for six years. He began his game show career in 1956, hosting Truth or Consequences.
Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972. He became an advocate for animal rights and of animal rights activism, supporting groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2007, Barker retired from hosting The Price Is Right after celebrating his 50-year career on television. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he continued to make occasional appearances for several years into his retirement until 2015.