Bob Eubanks
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Bob Eubanks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Leland Eubanks |
| Occupation(s) | Game show host Television personality Radio personality |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Spouse(s) | Irma Eubanks (1969–2001; her death) Deborah James (?–present) |
| Website | http://www.bobeubanks.com |
Robert Leland "Bob" Eubanks (born January 8, 1938) is an American television/radio personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game on and off since 1966, where he was known for using the catch-phrase, "Makin' Whoopee".
Early life
Eubanks was born in Flint, Michigan, but was raised primarily in Pasadena, California, where he grew up listening to music, most notably favorites like Frank Sinatra and Doc Watson. He watched popular classic television and quiz game shows. Also growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he was influenced by Cary Grant, Howard Hughes, Buddy Hackett and Bill Cullen. He attended Pasadena High School, where he graduated in 1955. After graduation from high school, he would become one of California's most popular disc jockeys. In 1956, his first radio exposure was at KACY Radio in Oxnard, California. For most of the 1960s, while working the midday shift at KRLA in Pasadena, he was also a producer of concerts, such as The Beatles 1964 and 1965 Hollywood Bowl performances,[1] The Rolling Stones, during the first two years of the American tour. While still in Los Angeles, he also produced such artists as Barry Manilow, The Supremes, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Merle Haggard, among others.
Personal life
Eubanks married Irma Brown, an avid athlete, ranch forewoman and artist, on September 10, 1969. They had three children: Trace; Corey, a stuntman; and Theresa. In 1970, Bob & Irma purchased a 20-acre (81,000 m2) portion of a working cattle ranch, and later expanded it to 26 acres (110,000 m2). The entire family enjoyed roping and riding. Irma handled interior decorating, landscaping, and mounting one to two equestrian shows a year. Irma died in 2001 after a prolonged illness.
At some point after 2001, Bob married Deborah James. She is a wedding/events coordinator in Ventura, CA. She has her own company called Bella Vita Events. They live in Westlake Village, CA.
The Newlywed Game and Country Music business
In 1966, he received a phone call from Chuck Barris to host a new game show, The Newlywed Game, which premiered on ABC that same year. During its debut, it was an immediate hit, and the show's popularity led the network to expand the prime-time lineup, where it had run on the air for five years. Only 28 years old when he started hosting, Eubanks became widely popular for bringing a youthful energy to daytime television, pressing contestants into giving embarrassing and hilarious answers. The Newlywed Game was also ranked as one of the top three daytime game shows, for five consecutive years, between 1968 and 1973, and was ranked in the top three prime-time game shows, also for five years, between 1966 and 1971.
While not taping, he also pursued a career in the country music business, where he served as manager of such artists as Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell and Marty Robbins. The same year, he also signed Merle Haggard to an exclusive live-performance contract, producing more than 100 dates per year with the performer for almost a decade. His first ending of his first-run network TV show, The Newlywed Game, ended in 1974, after 2,195 episodes, making Eubanks one of the most beloved and bankable game show hosts to date. He also hosted various editions in syndication, from 1977–80, 1985–88 and 1997-99. For Series Two of the 2009 GSN revival, Bob hosted a celebrity charity episode with current host Carnie Wilson and her husband Rob Bonfiglio playing against Carnie's sister Wendy and her husband Daniel Knutson, and their mother Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford and her current husband Daniel Rutherford. In spring 2010, Eubanks hosted another episode of The Newlywed Game, subtitled the "Game Show Kings" episode. This episode featured Monty Hall and his wife Marilyn Hall, Peter Marshall and his wife Laurie Stewart, and Wink Martindale with his wife Sandy Martindale. This makes him the only person to host the same game show in six different consecutive decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
Other game shows
After Newlywed Game, he hosted a number of other game shows in his career, including Rhyme and Reason, Dream House, The Diamond Head Game, Trivia Trap, and Powerball: The Game Show.
In 1985, Mark Goodson hired Eubanks, a second time (the first being the aforementioned Trivia Trap), to host a revamped version of the show Card Sharks for CBS. Eubanks hosted Card Sharks throughout its CBS run until its demise in 1989. Prior to hosting Card Sharks, he appeared as a special guest on the original version alongside Jim Perry, promoting his 1979 game show All Star Secrets, which he also produced.
His final network game show he hosted was Family Secrets. In recent years, he has hosted or co-hosted all five of NBC's Most Outrageous Game Show Moments specials. Eubanks was one of three rotating hosts (along with Chuck Woolery and Jamie Farr) of the "$250,000 Game Show Spectacular" at the Las Vegas Hilton until the show closed in April 2008.[2]
Besides producing Hill-Eubanks's All Star Secrets, the company also produced Guinness Game in 1979-80, Toni Tennille Show in 1980, Buddy Hackett's You Bet Your Life revival in 1980, and Infatuation (which Eubanks also hosted) in 1992. Between 1994 and 1995 Eubanks also travelled to Britain to host a British version of this series, Infatuation UK, (produced by Thames TV) for UK cable station, Living TV.
Radio
Prior to entering game shows, Eubanks was a popular radio DJ at station KRLA 1110 in Los Angeles as well as a music promoter and manager, between 1960 and 1968. He was responsible for bringing The Beatles to Los Angeles for their first West Coast performances in 1964 and 1965 (mortgaging his house to do so),[1] all of which took place at the famed Hollywood Bowl, with fellow KRLA DJs Dave Hull and Reb Foster joining Eubanks in introducing them. He also operated the Cinnamon Cinder Club on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, California.
He stood in for Casey Kasem twice on radio's American Top 40: January 9–10, 1982 (that year's first regular episode), and April 16–17, 1983.
Other appearances
In 1992, Bob appeared on the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the episode "Eyes on the Prize" hosting the game show "Double Trouble".
He has also hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade on Los Angeles television channel KTLA since 1976 and with Stephanie Edwards from 1978–2006. In 2007, Eubanks continued to host with Edwards' replacement, KTLA Morning Show anchor Michaela Pereira. Edwards returned to her co-hosting position alongside Eubanks in 2009.
On July 6, 2007, Eubanks sat in as a celebrity "Mob Member" on the NBC game show 1 vs. 100.
His autobiography, It's in the Book, Bob (ISBN 1-932100-28-8), was published in 2004.
Bob appeared as a guest on GSN Live on April 4, 2008 and returned on May 18, 2010.
He also appeared on the TV sitcom Kenan & Kel in the episode "The Honeymoon's Over" in August 1999.
He also appeared on the TV sitcom That '70s Show in the episode "Eric's Stash" in 2000.
Controversy
He appeared in Michael Moore's 1989 documentary Roger & Me. The film documented Moore's attempts to track General Motors CEO Roger Smith to confront him about the harm he did to Flint, Michigan with his massive downsizing. Eubanks, a native of Flint, was interviewed about his views on the downsizing, and was filmed reciting an off-color homophobic anti-Semitic joke about AIDS.[3] Eubanks is believed to have staged a fake wedding ceremony with his longtime mistress, Colleen Crowell-Kelly while he was married to Irma. The couple's "family" Christmas card and story are in the May 18, 1993 National Enquirer where the cover says "Game Show Host 'weds' mistress in phony ceremony.
References
- ^ a b Hochman, Steve (Nov 16, 1998). "KRLA's Switch to Talk Will End Rock Era on AM Dial in L.A.; Radio Some are nostalgic about a station that retained family appeal to the end. Others say change is overdue". L.A. Times. pp. F4.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "R.I.P. $250,000 Game Show Spectacular". Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ^ "Roger & Me Memorable Quotes". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
Eubanks is believed to have staged a fake wedding ceremony with his longtime mistress, Colleen Crowell-Kelly while he was married to Irma. The couple's "family" Christmas card and story are in the May 18, 1993 National Enquirer where the cover says "Game Show Host 'weds' mistress in phony ceremony.