Legendary game show host Bob Barker, who gave away millions in prizes in 35 years on The Price Is Right, died Saturday morning at his Hollywood Hills, California home from natural causes. He was 99.
- Born on December 12th, 1923 in Darrington, Washington
- Hosted quiz show Truth or Consequences for 18 years
- Most notably hosted The Price Is Right from 1972-2007
- Vocal animal-rights activist
Barker was born in 1923 in Washington state and spent most of his childhood on an Indian reservation in South Dakota before moving to Springfield, Missouri and graduating from the city’s Central High School. He attended Drury College in Springfield on a basketball scholarship and, after serving as a Navy fighter pilot in World War Two, graduated in 1947.
After a few radio jobs, Barker became the host of N-B-C’s Truth or Consequences on December 31st, 1956. He held that job for 18 years, the last three pulling double duty as the host of The Price Is Right. Barker took over for original The Price Is Right host Bill Cullen on September 4th, 1972.
Barker became an beloved icon on T-P-I-R, charming audiences and garnering thousands of kisses from women who made it out of Contestants’ Row to the show’s six daily pricing games. He was an animal-rights activist for decades and became a vegetarian in 1979. His signature sign-off, “Help control the pet population — have your pet spayed or neutered,” is one of T-V’s most memorable phrases. Barker won 19 Emmys during his career — 14 for Outstanding Game Show Host. Before his retirement in 2007, he became the oldest person to host a game show at age 84. Drew Carey succeeded Barker and has continued urging Americans to have their pets spayed or neutered.
Barker remained host of The Price Is Right until June 2007, but not without controversy. He was sued in 1994 by “Barker’s Beauties” mainstay Dian Parkinson, who accused Barker of sexual harassment in the mid- to late ‘80s. Another Beauty, Holly Hallstrom, sued for wrongful termination after being allegedly being asked to leave the show in 1995 because of problems maintaining her weight. A number of other models were fired in 2000 because their depositions in the Hallstrom case contradicted Barker’s. Barker and production company Freemantle Enterprises finally settled with Hallstrom in 2005. And in 2007, a female African-American producer sued for discrimination and wrongful termination.
Barker — a red belt in karate — was married once, to Dorothy Jo Gideon, who died of lung cancer in 1981. They had no children.
