Bob Barker

**Robert William "Bob" Barker** (December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023) was an American television game show host and animal rights activist. He was best known for hosting CBS's  _The Price is Right_ from 1972 to 2007 and for hosting _Truth or Consequences_ from 1956 to 1974.

## Early life

Barker was born **Robert William Barker** on December 12, 1923 in Darrington, Washington. He was of Sioux descent.

Barker met his future wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, at an Ella Fitzgerald concert while he was attending high school in Missouri; they began dating when he was 15. He went to Drury College (now Drury University) in Springfield, Missouri.

## Career

Barker started hosting _Truth or Consequences_ on December 31, 1956. He continued with the program until 1974. On December 4, 1957, Barker began hosting a new Ralph Edwards creation, the short-lived _End of the Rainbow_ for NBC.

On September 4, 1972, Barker began hosting the CBS revival of _The Price Is Right_. On October 15, 1987, Barker did what other MCs almost never did: he stopped using hair dye and allowed his hair to turn gray.

On October 31, 2006, Barker made his announcement that he would retire from _The Price Is Right_ in June 2007. He taped his last episode on June 6, 2007. The show aired twice on June 15.

Barker acted as himself in the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy movie _Happy Gilmore_.

Barker won nineteen Daytime Emmy Awards.

Barker broke Johnny Carson's record for continuous performances on the same network television show, appearing for a total of twenty-nine years. At the time of his retirement at aged 83, Barker held the record of oldest person to host a regularly scheduled game show.

## Personal life and death

Barker married Dorothy Jo Gideon in 1945. He had no children. Despite retiring from television, Barker was an active animal rights activist. In 1993, Dian Parkinson sued Barker for sexual harassment and the lawsuit was dropped in 1995.

Barker was a skin cancer survivor. On September 17, 2010, Barker collapsed at an L.A. shooting range. He was treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for an adverse drug reaction and released.

Barker died on August 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 99. The cause of death was problems caused by Alzheimer's disease.

## Other websites

- Bob Barker at Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

## Infobox (military person)

- **embed**: yes
- **embed title**: Military service
- **branch**: United States Army Air Forces
- **branch label**: Service
- **serviceyears**: 1944–1946
- **rank**: Staff sergeant, Staff Sergeant
- **unit**: American Forces Network, Armed Forces Radio Service
- **battles**: * World War II
** American Theater (World War II), American Theater
- **battles label**: Wars
- **awards**: Good Conduct Medal (United States), Good Conduct Medal


## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Bob Barker
- **image**: Bob Barker 1975.jpg
- **caption**: Barker in 1975
- **birth name**: Robert William Barker
- **birth place**: Darrington, Washington, U.S.
- **death place**: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- **death cause**: Problems caused by Alzheimer's disease
- **resting place**: Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
- **education**: Drury University (Bachelor of Arts, BA)
- **signature**: Bob Barker autograph.svg