Bob Barker, Legendary Host Of The Price Is Right, Has Died At 99
Let's hope they have Plinko in the afterlife because the longest-running "The Price is Right" host, Bob Barker, has died at the age of 99. The news was first reported by ABC7. Barker hosted "The Price is Right" for over three decades — from 1972 to 2007 — asking contestants to come on down and try to guess the correct prices of items, ranging from groceries to huge prize packages like a cruise, a set of luggage, and a brand new car. On his watch, "The Price is Right" became the longest-running game show in North American history. And with its success, Barker became a household name, a comforting face, and a voice that was regularly on TV every weekday morning.
Barker began his career in radio before moving to the NBC television series "Truth or Consequences" as host in 1956, where he stayed for nearly 20 years. In 1972, after "The Price is Right" was revamped – Bill Cullen helmed a similar take on it in the late 1950s and early 1960s — Barker was brought on as host and he stayed for the rest of his career. Over the years, Barker made a number of guest appearances on other shows, mostly as himself or a version of himself. And he cemented his cinematic legacy by getting into a brawl on the golf course in Adam Sandler's "Happy Gilmore." The game show host was a beloved television figure and fierce animal rights advocate whose legacy will continue for years to come.
A lifetime of laughs and love for animals
Born December 12, 1923, in Darrington, Washington, Robert William Barker came from a modest background, raised by his widowed mother on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. He briefly trained as a pilot with the United States Naval Reserve before returning to college and graduating with a degree in economics. In 1950 he moved to California to chase his dreams of working in broadcasting, and the rest, as they say, is history. "The Price is Right" was the first hour-long game show in TV history, and it became an inescapable part of the pop culture landscape.
There's an old Dane Cook stand-up bit about how "The Price is Right" is medicinal because every kid grew up watching it when they were home sick from school, and he's on the money about just how much Barker and "The Price is Right" felt like a part of the fabric of the American experience. Comedian Drew Carey took over hosting duties when Barker retired in 2007 and the show continues to be a warm and fuzzy hit of hopeful entertainment, but it's all in service of recreating the magic originated by Barker and his "Price is Right" crew.
In addition to his legacy as a game show host, Barker was a tremendous advocate for animal rights and was a vegetarian for decades. In 2012, he donated $2.5 million to build a new west coast headquarters for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and he was one of their biggest champions. Rest in peace, Mr. Barker.