American television and radio personality (born 1938)
Bob Eubanks
|
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Bob_Eubanks_KRLA_1964.jpg/220px-Bob_Eubanks_KRLA_1964.jpg) Eubanks in 1964
|
Born
| Robert Leland Eubanks
(
1938-01-08
)
January 8, 1938
(age 86)
|
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Occupation(s)
| Game show host
Television personality
Radio personality
|
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Years active
| 1956?present
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Spouses
| -
Irma Brown
(
m.
1969; died 2002)
-
Deborah James
(
m.
2004)
|
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Children
| 4
|
---|
Website
| bobeubanks
.com
|
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Robert Leland Eubanks
(born January 8, 1938
[1]
) is an American
disc jockey
, television personality and
game show host
, widely known for hosting the game show
The Newlywed Game
on and off since 1966. He also hosted the successful revamp version of
Card Sharks
from 1986 to 1989.
[2]
He received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
for his radio DJ work in 2000.
[3]
It is in front of
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
, where he worked during the first years of his broadcasting career.
[4]
[5]
In 2005, he received a lifetime achievement
Emmy Award
from the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
.
[3]
[6]
Biography
[
edit
]
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
. His parents, John Otho Leland Eubanks (September 28, 1905 ? April 11, 1995) and Gertrude Eubanks (nee McClure; 1907?1997), were originally from
Missouri
. They moved to Flint during the
Great Depression
, where their only child was born, before moving on to California. The young boy became a child model, doing photo shoots for ads and meeting his idol,
Gene Autry
, during an ad photo shoot with him.
[7]
Eubanks 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 attended
Los Angeles Pierce College
(according to his commentary on a Card Sharks episode) and then went on to become one of California's most popular disc jockeys. In 1956, Eubanks worked at his first radio station,
KACY
in
Oxnard, California
. He joined
KRLA
in Pasadena in 1960 to do the overnight show. In the spring of 1962, he was promoted to morning drive; a year later, he moved to his long-running 6?9 pm evening slot. During most of the 1960s, he was also a promoter of concerts such as the
Beatles
' 1964 and 1965
Hollywood Bowl
performances
[3]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
and the
Rolling Stones
during the first two years of their American tour.
[11]
While still in
Los Angeles
, he also promoted such artists as
Barry Manilow
,
The Supremes
,
Dolly Parton
,
Bob Dylan
,
Elton John
, and
Merle Haggard
, among others.
[12]
Eubanks married Irma Barnard of Ann Arbor, an avid athlete, ranch forewoman and artist, on September 10, 1969. They had three children: Trace, a retired firefighter; Corey, a stuntman; and Theresa.
[13]
In 1970, the couple purchased a 20-acre (81,000 m
2
) portion of a working cattle ranch, and later expanded it to 26 acres (110,000 m
2
).
[7]
The entire family enjoyed roping and riding, with Eubanks participating in rodeos during his spare time.
[14]
Eubanks is a gold card member of the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
.
[3]
Barnard handled interior decorating, landscaping, and mounting one to two equestrian shows a year. She died in 2002 after a prolonged illness.
[7]
In 2004, Eubanks married Deborah James, a woman 29 years younger.
[15]
James is a wedding/events coordinator in Ventura, California and has her own company, Bella Vita Events. The couple has a young son, Noah.
[7]
[13]
In October 2010, Eubanks and James put their
Westlake Village, California
home on the market.
[16]
The Newlywed Game
and country music business
[
edit
]
In 1966, Eubanks received a phone call from
Chuck Barris
, asking him to host a new game show,
The Newlywed Game
; the show premiered on
ABC
later 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.
[
clarification needed
]
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 seasons, between 1968 and 1973, and was ranked in the top three prime-time game shows, also for five seasons, between 1966 and 1971.
[4]
[13]
[14]
While hosting
The Newlywed Game
, Eubanks was known for using the
catchphrase
"makin' whoopee", in reference to sexual intercourse. It was Eubanks who borrowed the term from the
song
of the same name, in an attempt to keep parents with young children from having to explain the facts of life because of a television show. While the network was comfortable with the term "making love", its Standards and Practices Department did not allow the use of the word "
panties
".
[13]
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
.
[12]
The same year,
[
which?
]
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.
[4]
The Newlywed Game
ended in 1974, after 2195 episodes, making Eubanks one of the most viewed game show hosts to date. He also hosted various editions in
syndication
(1977?1980, 1985?1988 and 1997?1999).
[12]
For season two of the show's
2009 revival
on
GSN
, Eubanks hosted a celebrity charity episode with
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 "Game Show Kings". It featured
Monty Hall
and his wife Marilyn Hall,
Peter Marshall
and his wife Laurie Stewart, and
Wink Martindale
with his wife Sandy. This made Eubanks the only person to host the same game show in six consecutive decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s).
In 1988, Eubanks left
The Newlywed Game
to pursue other interests (though he was still hosting
Card Sharks
on
CBS
for another seven months) and was replaced by
Paul Rodriguez
.
In 1996, Eubanks appeared as a substitute host of
Prime Time Country
on
The Nashville Network
.
[17]
Other game shows
[
edit
]
After
Newlywed Game
, Eubanks hosted a number of other game shows in his career, including
Rhyme and Reason
,
Card Sharks
,
Dream House
,
The Diamond Head Game
,
Trivia Trap
, and
Powerball: The Game Show
.
[5]
[18]
[19]
Eubanks also auditioned to host the
CBS
daytime version of
Wheel of Fortune
; however,
Bob Goen
was hired instead.
[20]
. According to a contestant recollection, Eubanks also did an unaired
audition
for the
NBC
version of the show in
1981
when
Chuck Woolery
was planning on leaving the series, before
Pat Sajak
was hired for the job.
[21]
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
.
[22]
[23]
Eubanks hosted
Card Sharks
throughout its CBS run from January 1986 until its demise in March 1989.
[14]
Prior to hosting
Card Sharks
, he appeared as a special guest on the original
NBC
version alongside
Jim Perry
to promote his 1979 game show
All Star Secrets
, which he also produced.
His final network game show 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 also 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.
[24]
Besides producing Hill-Eubanks's
All Star Secrets
, the company also produced
The Guinness Game
in 1979?80,
The
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 traveled to
Britain
to host a British version of this series,
Infatuation UK
, produced by
Thames Television
for UK cable network
Living TV
. Eubanks tried acting, but found he was not good at doing lines; he also learned the game show business was far more lucrative and less confining.
[22]
[25]
Radio
[
edit
]
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.
[26]
He was responsible for bringing
The Beatles
to
Los Angeles
for their first West Coast performances at the famed
Hollywood Bowl
in 1964 and 1965 (mortgaging his house to do so),
[3]
[7]
[8]
[27]
with fellow KRLA DJs
Dave Hull
and Reb Foster joining Eubanks in introducing them.
[10]
He also operated several
Cinnamon Cinder
nightclubs.
[9]
[11]
[28]
In the early to mid 1960s, the house band at his the Traffic Circle Cinnamon Cinder club was
The Vibrants
.
[29]
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
[
edit
]
Eubanks hosted the televised 1964
Miss Teen USA
pageant, with actor
Sebastian Cabot
making an appearance as one of the guests.
[30]
Eubanks 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 economic devastation resulting from the company's closure of eleven manufacturing plants in Flint, Michigan.
[31]
Eubanks, a native of Flint, was interviewed about his views on the downsizing, and was filmed telling an
off-color
homophobic, anti-Semitic joke:
MOORE: [In regards to
The Newlywed Game
containing racy/sexual content] Bob was right. He didn't say "breasts" and I considered apologizing for implying that his show wasn't wholesome family entertainment.
[cut to:]
EUBANKS: You know why Jewish women don't get AIDS? Because they marry assholes, they don't screw them. Pardon me.
[32]
[33]
According to Moore in the film's DVD commentary, Eubanks attempted to denounce the film with the
Anti-Defamation League
for containing anti-Semitic content, despite the fact that the only anti-semitic content in the film was contributed by Eubanks himself.
[34]
In a 2010 interview for the
Archive of American Television
, Eubanks discussed his encounter with Moore and gave an explanation on how the ill-fated joke came about.
[35]
In 1992, Eubanks appeared on the TV sitcom
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
in the episode "Eyes on the Prize" hosting the game show "Double Trouble". That same year, he also made a cameo in the movie
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
hosting the game show "Ding-Dang-Dong", where he mentioned that the show's contestants stayed at the
Plaza Hotel
in
New York City
, and also gave the phone number for reservations (which allowed Kevin McCallister, played by
Macaulay Culkin
, to check in).
He has also hosted the
Tournament of Roses Parade
on Los Angeles television channel
KTLA
since 1976 and with
Stephanie Edwards
from 1978 to 2005. In 2006, Eubanks continued to host with Edwards's replacement,
KTLA Morning Show
anchor
Michaela Pereira
. Edwards returned to her co-hosting position alongside Eubanks in 2009.
[3]
[14]
[36]
In September 2015, Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards announced on the KTLA Morning News that the 2016 parade will be their last.
[37]
In 2017, they were replaced by
Leeza Gibbons
and
Mark Steines
.
Eubanks appeared as himself on the
Nickelodeon
sitcom
Kenan & Kel
in the episode "
The Honeymoon's Over
", which aired May 1999. He guest-starred on
That '70s Show
in the January 2000 episode "Eric's Stash".
He also hosted for some years the
Miss California USA
Pageant and Mrs. International Pageant, sister pageant to the Miss International (United States) Pageant, between 2000 and 2003.
[38]
On July 6, 2007, Eubanks sat in as a celebrity "Mob Member" on the NBC
game show
1 vs. 100
. A year after that, he appeared as a
GSN Live
guest on April 4, 2008, and returned on May 18, 2010. His most recent television appearance (not counting his annual KTLA Rose Parade appearances) was on
The Amazing Race 17
season finale, which aired December 12, 2010. In 2011, Eubanks hosted a special version of
The Newlywed Game
, live at Champion's Week for the
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
.
His
autobiography
,
It's in the Book, Bob
(
ISBN
1-932100-28-8
), was published in 2004.
Eubanks briefly appears in the music video for
The Offspring
's "
Why Don't You Get a Job?
"
[39]
In 2013, Eubanks toured with "America's Greatest Game Shows: Live on Stage".
[
citation needed
]
In 2015, he appeared as a host of a couples game on Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars (WE channel).
On April 21, 2023, it was announced that Eubanks would be featured in an upcoming four-episode documentary by
ABC News
titled
The Game Show Show
, covering the history of game shows in America over the last eight decades. The four-part documentary premiered on May 10, 2023.
[40]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"UPI Almanac for Monday, Jan. 8, 2018"
.
United Press International
. January 8, 2018.
Archived
from the original on January 8, 2018
. Retrieved
September 21,
2019
.
…game show host Bob Eubanks in 1938 (age 80)
- ^
"Hosts"
. buzzrplay.com. 2015
. Retrieved
May 2,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Rasmussen, Cynthia (August 22, 2004).
"Hollywood Star Walk-Bob Eubanks"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
Howe, Elena Nelson (July 12, 1999).
"A Talent at Having Fun With the Newly Wed"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Eubanks receives star on Walk of Fame"
.
Deseret News
. December 31, 2000
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
"Eubanks to receive award"
.
Los Angeles Times
. July 7, 2005
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Eubanks, Bob; Hansen, Matthew Scott, eds. (2004).
It's In The Book, Bob!
. Benbella Books. p. 337.
ISBN
978-1-932100-28-0
.
- ^
a
b
Hochman, Steve (November 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"
.
Los Angeles Times
. pp. F4.
(pay per view)
- ^
a
b
"KRLA Beat"
(PDF)
. KRLA Radio. October 9, 1964
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
(
PDF
)
- ^
a
b
"KRLA Beat"
(PDF)
. KRLA Radio. May 12, 1965
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
(
PDF
)
- ^
a
b
"KRLA Beat"
(PDF)
. KRLA Radio. November 18, 1964
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
(
PDF
)
- ^
a
b
c
Duvoli, John (March 13, 1980).
"Famed TV emcee looks ahead to Newburgh Mall festivities"
.
The Evening News
.
Newburgh, New York
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Diamond, Jamie (December 31, 2009).
"The Whoopie Man"
.
The New York Times
. Archived from
the original
on May 25, 2024
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
White, Karen (August 14, 1987).
"Honeymoon not over for Bob Eubanks"
.
The Sumter Daily Item
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Rivas, Aby (October 19, 2019).
"Inside 'The Newlywed Game' Star Bob Eubanks' Marriage to 29-Year-Younger Wife Deborah"
.
AmoMama.com
. Retrieved
August 20,
2021
.
- ^
Beale, Lauren (October 5, 2010).
"Bob Eubanks lists Westlake Village home"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Baber, David (2015).
"prime+time+country"&pg=PA93
Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars
. McFarland. p. 93.
ISBN
9781476604800
. Retrieved
May 18,
2019
.
- ^
Scott, Vernon (September 29, 1983).
"Initial Reaction is Astonishment for Winners on 'Dream House'
"
.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Brewster, Sloan (May 12, 2001).
"Town woman appears on game show"
.
Record-Journal
.
Meriden, Connecticut
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Barber, David. Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars. Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland, 2008, page 92.
- ^
https://wheeloffortunehistory.fandom.com/wiki/Wheel_of_Fortune_timeline_(network)/1981
- ^
a
b
Graham, Jefferson (May 22, 1988).
"$500,000 For 35 Days' Work"
.
Lawrence Journal-World
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
"
'Card Sharks' is Dealt Back In"
.
Los Angeles Times
. November 14, 1985
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
"R.I.P. $250,000 Game Show Spectacular"
. April 30, 2008
. Retrieved
January 1,
2009
.
- ^
King, Richard (July 23, 1983). "Bob Eubanks likes his cake with icing".
Merced Sun-Star
.
- ^
Harvey, Steve (October 4, 2009).
"In the AM radio wars of the '60s, they talked big and talked back"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Rasmussen, Cynthia (August 22, 2004).
"DJ Mortgaged His House to Bring The Beatles to the Hollywood Bowl"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Thomas, Bob (December 31, 1962).
"Cinnamon Cinder Puts Twinkle in Owner's Eye"
.
Reading Eagle
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Thomey, Tedd (December 13, 1963).
"Kerplunk! He Got Stuck in Mud"
.
Long Beach Independent
.
- ^
"TV Highlights"
.
newspapers.com
. San Bernardino, California: The San Bernardino County Sun. March 21, 1964. p. 32 (C-8)
. Retrieved
February 24,
2021
.
9:30 P.M. (30 min.) The Miss Teen U.S.A. Pageant reaches the introduction of candidates for the title. Guests include Sebastian Cabot, with Bob Eubanks as host.
[The show was televised in parts over a number of days.]
- ^
Wiley, Mason (June 30, 1980).
"
'Roger & Me' part of savagely funny film tradition"
.
Star-News
. Wilmington, NC
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
"Roger And Me Script - transcript from the screenplay and/or Michael Moore movie"
.
Script-o-rama.com
. Retrieved
December 27,
2016
.
- ^
Westacott, Emrys (2012).
The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits
. Princeton University Press. p.
189
.
ISBN
9780691141992
.
- ^
Schultz, Emily (2005).
Michael Moore: A Biography
. ECW Press. p.
82
.
ISBN
9781550226997
.
bob eubanks AND moore AND roger AND anti-defamation league.
- ^
Bob Eubanks on the controversy surrounding "Roger and Me" - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews
, retrieved
April 7,
2020
- ^
Rainey, James (January 2, 2009).
"Stephanie Edwards returns to her lofty perch"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
March 18,
2011
.
- ^
Sam Rubin (September 25, 2015).
"World Exclusive: Stephanie Edwards and Bob Eubanks Make a Big Announcement: 'It's Just Time'
"
.
Ktla.com
. Retrieved
December 27,
2016
.
- ^
"Mrs. International Pageant: The Honeymoon Continues"
.
Pageantry
. Retrieved
August 11,
2013
.
- ^
"Why Don't You Get A Job?"
on
YouTube
- ^
"ABC News Studios Sets The Game Show Show Special (Exclusive)"
. April 21, 2023
. Retrieved
April 21,
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
Media offices
|
Preceded by
|
Host of
Dream House
1983 ? 1984
|
Succeeded by
series cancelled
|
Preceded by
|
Host of
Card Sharks
January 6, 1986 ? March 31, 1989
|
Succeeded by
|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
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Other
| |
---|