August 2024 is a year since former The Price Is Right game show host Bob Barker died. The famous host died on August 26, 2023, at age 99. Bob Barker helped revolutionize TV game shows, having hosted The Price Is Right for 35 years.
Besides his successes as a media personality and gameshow host, Bob Barker was a passionate animal rights advocate. Roger Neal, Barker’s publicist, announced Bob Barker’s death in a statement, stating, “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us.” Here’s a timeline of Bob Barker’s life, career, and death.
1923: Bob Barker’s Early Life
Barker was born Robert William Barker in Darrington, Washington, on December 12, 1923. He was born to Byron John Barker, an electrical high-line foreman, and Matilda “Tillie” Valandra (née Matilda Kent Tarleton), a schoolteacher. Although born in Darrington, Barker spent most of his growing years at the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. He was recognized as a Rosebud Sioux Tribe citizen. Although his mother was a non-Native who worked in the reservation, his father was one-quarter Sioux.
1943: Bob Barker Joined the United States Navy Reserve
One of the notable things Bob Barker did before graduating from Drury College (now Drury University) was to serve his country. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1944 during World War II. Looking to join the war, Bob Barker enlisted to train as a fighter pilot. However, he was never deployed for combat. He returned to Drury College to finish his education after the war. He graduated with an economics degree from Drury College.
1945: He Married Dorothy Jo Gideon
Bob Barker’s first and only wife was Dorothy Jo Gideon. Barker first met Gideon while he was in High School. Like several teenagers his age, Barker had attended Ella Fitzgerald’s concert in Missouri and met Gideon. The couple reportedly began dating when Barker was 15 years old. Bob Barker and Dorothy Jo Gideon married on January 12, 1945, after dating for about seven years. Barker reportedly took a leave from his military service to marry Gideon.
1950: Bob Barker Moved to California
Although he was studying economics at Drury College, Bob Barker grew an interest in media. While in school, he landed a job working for the local KTTS-FM radio station. After his marriage, he moved to Florida with his wife and worked with Palm Beach’s WWPG 1340 AM. Convinced he wanted a career in broadcasting, Barker and his wife moved to California in 1950 to further his career. The decision paid well as Bob Barker was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which stayed on air for six years.
1956: Bob Barker Became the Host of His First TV Gameshow
Bob Barker was having success as a radio show host when Providence provided his transition to television. The daytime television version of Truth or Consequences had been airing for about two years and was in need of a new host to replace Jack Bailey. The show’s producer, Ralph Edwards, was listening to Bob Barker performing one of his radio shows and was captivated by Barker’s voice and style. Barker was hired as Jack Bailey’s replacement and debuted as the show’s host on December 31, 1956. Bob Barker was Truth or Consequences host from 1956 to 1975.
1972: Bob Barker Became the Host of The Price Is Right
After hosting Truth or Consequences for over a decade, Bob Barker had become a familiar face on American television. He was offered to host the CBS gameshow The Price Is Right. Although he initially objected, Barker began hosting the show in 1972. He retired as host of The Price Is Right in 2007. Bob Barker’s last episode as host of The Price Is Right aired originally on June 15, 2007.
1981: Bob Barker’s Wife’s Death
Dorothy Jo Gideon had battled cancer for years before succumbing in 1981. Gideon died on October 19, 1981, from lung cancer. Bob Barker and Dorothy Jo Gideon stayed married for 36 years until her death. The couple never had children.
1983: Bob Barker began Dating Nancy Burnet
About two years after his wife’s death, Bob Barker began dating Nancy Burnet in 1981. Like Barker, Burnet was also an animal rights activist. The couple reportedly met on March 27, 1983, at an animal adoption event hosted by Bob Barker. Although Barker and Burnet never married, their relationship lasted from 1983 until Bob Barker died in 2023.
1996: Bob Barker’s Feature Film Debut
Bob Barker made his feature film debut in 1996 with the Adam Sandler-led sports comedy Happy Gilmore. Although it wasn’t his first appearance in a movie or TV show, his earlier appearances have been in television movies and TV shows. Like he did in most of his acting credit, Bob Barker starred in Happy Gilmore as himself. Barker was famous for throwing punches in the movie. Bob Barker’s other notable film and television appearances included How I Met Your Mother (2007), Family Guy (2001–2008), and WWE Raw (2009). In 2014 and 2015, Barker guest-starred in The Bold and the Beautiful and SpongeBob SquarePants, respectively.
2023: Bob Barker’s Death
Bob Barker died at his Los Angeles home on August 26, 2023. At the time his death was announced, the cause of death was not revealed. However, Bob Barker’s death certificate later revealed the former game show host died from complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Bob Barker had battled the disease for several years before his death. Bob Barker’s final resting place is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, where he’s interred alongside his wife. After Bob Barker’s death in 2023, famous talk show host Dr. Ruth died at age 96 in 2024.
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