A publicist says popular game show host Bob Barker, a household name for a half-century as host of 害羞草研究所淭ruth or Consequences害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Price Is Right,害羞草研究所� has died at his home in Los Angeles. Barker was 99.
Barker 害羞草研究所� also a longtime animal rights activist 害羞草研究所� died Saturday morning (Aug. 26), according to publicist Roger Neal.
害羞草研究所淚 am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,害羞草研究所� said Nancy Burnet, his longtime friend and caretaker, in a statement.
Barker retired in June 2007, telling his studio audience: 害羞草研究所淚 thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years.害羞草研究所�
Barker was working in radio in 1956 when producer Ralph Edwards invited him to audition as the new host of 害羞草研究所淭ruth or Consequences,害羞草研究所� a game show in which audience members had to do wacky stunts 害羞草研究所� the 害羞草研究所渃onsequence害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� if they failed to answer a question 害羞草研究所� the 害羞草研究所渢ruth,害羞草研究所� which was always the silly punchline to a riddle no one was ever meant to furnish. (Q: What did one eye say to another? A: Just between us, something smells.)
In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Barker recalled receiving the news that he had been hired: 害羞草研究所淚 know exactly where I was, I know exactly how I felt: I hung up the phone and said to my wife, 害羞草研究所楧orothy Jo, I got it!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Barker stayed with 害羞草研究所淭ruth or Consequences害羞草研究所� for 18 years 害羞草研究所� including several years in a syndicated version.
Meanwhile, he began hosting a resurrected version of 害羞草研究所淭he Price Is Right害羞草研究所� in 1972. (The original host in the 1950s and 害羞草研究所�60s was Bill Cullen.) It would become TV害羞草研究所檚 longest-running game show and the last on a broadcast network of what in TV害羞草研究所檚 early days had numbered dozens.
害羞草研究所淚 have grown old in your service,害羞草研究所� the silver-haired, perennially tanned Barker joked on a prime-time television retrospective in the mid-害羞草研究所�90s.
In all, he taped more than 5,000 shows in his career. He said he was retiring because 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 just reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me. 害羞草研究所� Better (to leave) a year too soon than a year too late.害羞草研究所� Comedian Drew Carey was chosen to replace him.
Barker was back with Carey for one show broadcast in April 2009. He was there to promote the publication of his memoir, 害羞草研究所淧riceless Memories,害羞草研究所� in which he summed up his joy from hosting the show as the opportunity 害羞草研究所渢o watch people reveal themselves and to watch the excitement and humor unfold.害羞草研究所�
He well understood the attraction of 害羞草研究所淭he Price Is Right,害羞草研究所� in which audience members 害羞草研究所� invited to 害羞草研究所淐ome on down!害羞草研究所� to the stage 害羞草研究所� competed for prizes by trying to guess their retail value.
害羞草研究所淓veryone can identify with prices, even the president of the United States. Viewers at home become involved because they all have an opinion on the bids,害羞草研究所� Barker once said. His own appeal was clear: Barker played it straight 害羞草研究所� warm, gracious and witty 害羞草研究所� refusing to mock the game show format or his contestants.
害羞草研究所淚 want the contestants to feel as though they害羞草研究所檙e guests in my home,害羞草研究所� he said in 1996. 害羞草研究所淧erhaps my feeling of respect for them comes across to viewers, and that may be one of the reasons why I害羞草研究所檝e lasted.害羞草研究所�
As a TV personality, Barker retained a touch of the old school 害羞草研究所� for instance, no wireless microphone for him. Like the mic itself, the mic cord served him well as a prop, insouciantly flicked and finessed.
His career longevity, he said, was the result of being content. 害羞草研究所淚 had the opportunity to do this type of show and I discovered I enjoyed it 害羞草研究所� People who do something that they thoroughly enjoy and they started doing it when they害羞草研究所檙e very young, I don害羞草研究所檛 think they want to stop.害羞草研究所�
Barker also spent 20 years as host of the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Universe Pageant. A longtime animal rights activist who daily urged his viewers to 害羞草研究所渉ave your pets spayed or neutered害羞草研究所� and successfully lobbied to ban fur coats as prizes on 害羞草研究所淭he Price Is Right,害羞草研究所� he quit the Miss USA Pageant in 1987 in protest over the presentation of fur coats to the winners.
害羞草研究所淚 am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,害羞草研究所� said Nancy Burnet, his longtime friend and caretaker, in a statement. Burnet is now also the co-executor of Barker害羞草研究所檚 estate.
In 1997, Barker declined to be a presenter at the Daytime Emmy awards ceremony because he said it snubbed game shows by not airing awards in the category. He called game shows 害羞草研究所渢he pillars of daytime TV.害羞草研究所�
He had a memorable cameo appearance on the big screen in 1996, sparring with Adam Sandler in the movie 害羞草研究所淗appy Gilmore.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚 did `The Price Is Right害羞草研究所� for 35 years, and they害羞草研究所檙e asking me how it was to beat up Adam Sandler,害羞草研究所� Barker later joked.
In 1994, the widowed Barker was sued for sexual harassment by Dian Parkinson, a 害羞草研究所淧rice is Right害羞草研究所� model for 18 years. Barker admitted engaging in 害羞草研究所渉anky panky害羞草研究所� with Parkinson from 1989-91 but said she initiated the relationship. Parkinson dropped the lawsuit in 1995, saying it was hurting her health.
Barker became embroiled in a dispute with another former 害羞草研究所淧rice Is Right害羞草研究所� model, Holly Hallstrom, who claimed she was fired in 1995 because the show害羞草研究所檚 producers believed she was fat. Barker denied the allegations.
Neither uproar affected his goodwill from the audience.
Born in Darrington, Washington, in 1923, Barker spent part of his childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where his widowed mother had taken a teaching job. The family later moved to Springfield, Mo., where he attended high school. He served in the Navy in World War II.
He married Dorothy Jo Gideon, his high school sweetheart; she died in 1981 after 37 years of marriage. They had no children.
Barker was given a lifetime achievement award at the 26th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1999. He closed his acceptance remarks with the signoff: 害羞草研究所淗ave your pets spayed or neutered.害羞草研究所�
Frazier Moore, The Associated Press
