Al Roker

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Al Roker
Al Roker at the 81st Academy Awards in February 2009
Born	Albert Lincoln Roker, Jr. August 20, 1954 (1954-08-20) (age 54) Queens, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Weather presenter, television and radio personality
Years active	1974 – present
Website www.alroker.com

Albert Lincoln "Al" Roker, Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American television broadcaster, best known as the weather anchor for NBC's Today show. Beginning July 20, 2009, he will co-host his new morning show Wake Up with Al! on The Weather Channel, which airs weekdays from 6am to 7am ET, one hour away from Today show. He holds American Meteorological Society Television Seal #238.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Career 3 Controversy 4 Signature phrases 5 Other appearances and activities 6 Charity work 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Personal life

Born in the New York City borough of Queens, New York, in 1954, Roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist. He was raised Catholic (in the faith of his mother) and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.^[1] He worked on several projects as a member of the school's Cartooning & Illustration club. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he double majored in graphic design and broadcasting/journalism in college. He worked in television around the Cleveland and New York areas before he became a weather forecaster for WNBC in New York City. Roker is a cousin of the late actress Roxie Roker, who is most notable for her role on the hit sitcom The Jeffersons, and the cousin of her son, popular rock musician Lenny Kravitz.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, in accordance with his late father's wish, Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, which he said he did after failing at numerous diets. Eight months after that surgery, the New York Daily News reported he dropped 100 pounds (45 kg) off his 320-pound figure.^[2] In 2005 Roker had a back operation.

His wife is fellow journalist Deborah Roberts, who has reported for both ABC and NBC, meeting Roker when she joined the latter in 1990 as a reporter. They worked together on Today from 1990–1995 with Roberts filling in for Faith Daniels, Margaret Larson and Matt Lauer at the newsdesk and Roker filling in for Willard Scott as the forecaster. Roker also filled in for forecaster Joe Witte on the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1983-1996. Roker has three children.

[edit] Career

Before the national recognition, Roker worked as a weather anchor for the CBS affliate WTVH based in Syracuse, New York in 1974–1976, for Washington, D.C.'s Metromedia affiliate WTTG in 1976–1978, and for the Cleveland area NBC affiliate WKYC-TV in 1978–1983. He was also the weather anchor for WNBC in New York City for several years starting in 1983.

In 1995, he became the host of The Al Roker Show, a weekend talk show on CNBC. In 1996–1997, he hosted a game show on MSNBC called Remember This?.

Roker started getting more exposure, especially when David Letterman asked him to do an elevator race with him in one episode of his talk show Late Night with David Letterman, which taped across the hall from WNBC's news studio in the GE Building. That led Roker to getting a job as the forecaster for Weekend Today, where he did the weather for nine years. He also substituted on the weekday edition of Today when Willard Scott was ill or away. In 1996, Scott announced his semi-retirement from the show, and Roker received the weekday weather position on Today, where he has been since. He officially joined Today on January 26, 1996. Roker became popular for doing his forecasts outside of the studio, interviewing audience members and giving some of them camera time. Roker also began doing more interviews and segments on the show as time progressed.

In 2005, Roker reported from inside Hurricane Wilma. A popular viral video exists on the internet of Roker being swept off his feet by the force of the hurricane and holding on to his cameraman.

Roker is a game show fan, and hosted a week-long segment on Today in honor of five game shows and their hosts. He also appeared as a celebrity player on both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. In 2008, Roker hosted NBC's Celebrity Family Feud.^[3][4] Roker also replaced Meredith Vieira for a week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire shows on March 5-9, 2007.

Roker also hosts various programs on The Food Network, namely, Roker on the Road, and, Tricked-Out Tailgating. He is also the author of several non-fiction books, and an avid barbecue enthusiast. ^[5][6]

Roker was also the forecaster for several radio stations, including the New York smooth jazz radio station WQCD (101.9 FM) and for Cleveland smooth jazz station WNWV (107.3 FM). The service was called the "Al Roker Radio Weather Network," it was provided by United Stations Radio Networks. He has since been replaced on those networks by John Wetherbee.^{[7] [8]}

[edit] Controversy

On June 7, 2007, Roker referenced the logo for 2012 Summer Olympics:

Remember that controversial Olympic logo for the 2012 Olympics in London? Some folks have complained that the campaign actually sent them into epileptic seizures. Well, we asked you to weigh in on our website in an informal poll; those of you who could get up off the floor after shaking around were able to actually log in . . .

The following day Roker stated, "I started joking about [the logo]. I want to make this clear — I was not joking about epilepsy or anyone who suffers from epilepsy. We understand and know that this is a serious affliction and would never joke about that. We were joking about the logo — not about epilepsy. If anybody was offended, I heartily and really humbly apologize."^[9] On July 19, 2007, Roker was scheduled to appear on the Opie & Anthony Show to talk about the incident, but at the last minute Roker cancelled.^[10]

Roker's comment came only 2 months after blasting radio personality Don Imus and insisted Imus be removed not only from the radio airwaves but also MSNBC for Imus's own controversial comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. On April 10, 2007 Roker writes on his MSNBC blog about Imus’s apology:

"The “I’m a good person who said a bad thing” apology doesn’t cut it. At least he didn’t try to weasel out of this by hiding behind alcohol or drug abuse. Still, he said it and a two-week suspension doesn’t cut it. It is, at best, a slap on the wrist. A vacation. Nothing.”.

[edit] Signature phrases

• In many occasions on Today he has used the phrase "man candy" to describe attractive males.^[11]

• At the end of his weather segments when they cut to local broadcasters for regional updates he says "That's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods."

[edit] Other appearances and activities

• Roker has done some voice acting, as both himself and a genie-like character on The Proud Family, as himself on Space Ghost Coast to Coast ("Chambraigne") promoting a brain-boosting shampoo, and thrice as intrepid reporter Sam Vander Rom in the math-mystery cartoon Cyberchase, including an episode called "The Wedding Scammer", which is a send-up of annual wedding on Today.

• Roker has also appeared in cameo roles on Newsradio, Seinfeld (in the "The Cigar Store Indian" episode), Will & Grace, Mad About You and 30 Rock. On the February 28, 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live (hosted by David Duchovny), Roker appeared in a "Mango" sketch with Matt Lauer. Usually, the sketch follows the fruitless pursuit of Mango by a character (portrayed by the host). In the middle of this particular sketch, Roker appeared as the object of Lauer's affection. Instead of the famous catch-phrase "Mango, Mango!" Lauer says, "Roker, ROKER!!"

• He has been referenced in the movies Undercover Brother, Madagascar, The Simpsons ("Brake My Wife, Please"), Drawn Together ("Lost in Parking Space, Part One"), Unaccompanied Minors, and Men in Black, where he is "outed" as an alien. Broadway musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels includes a song referring to playing "poker with Al Roker." The television show Family Guy has a character that plays a weatherman named Ollie Williams who is loosely based on Al Roker.

• Over the years Roker made at least 3 appearances on Don Imus's morning radio show. Rokers appearances were all to sell his latest books.

• During the inaugural parade of President Barack Obama, Al Roker was able to get the "first interview" with the President by removing his Fedora hat and yelling to the walking President to come over. Acknowledging Roker, Obama continued walking along the parade route, telling him "it's warm!"^[12]

• On February 11th, 2009 Roker appeared on the Howard Stern Show as a returning guest after promoting the second Season of DEA. Previously, he had appeared to promote the first season of DEA.

• Roker holds the record for most appearances on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien".^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Charity work

In 2007, Roker became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.^[13] He also served as the official spokesperson for Amtrak's National Train Day, which took place on May 10, 2008. ^[14]

[edit] See also

• Bahamian American
• The Proud Family

v • d • e Anchors of Today Weekday edition: Matt Lauer • Meredith Vieira • Ann Curry • Al Roker • Natalie Morales • Hoda Kotb • Kathie Lee Gifford Weekend edition: Lester Holt • Amy Robach • Jenna Wolfe

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Al Roker at the Internet Movie Database
• Al Roker Investigates at CourtTV.com
• Al Roker's Bahamas Reunion
• Roker's NBC biography
• Al Roker at Foodnetwork.com
• "Al Roker chats with Mad Dog & Billie on Toronto's MIX FM". Archived from the original on 2007-01-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070128230910/http://www.999mixfm.com/audio_video_mdb. 

Persondata
NAME	Roker, Al
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Roker, Albert Lincoln, Jr.
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Weather presenter, television and radio personality
DATE OF BIRTH	August 20, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH	Queens, New York, USA
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH