The Untold Story Of Bob Barker
By A. C. GRIMES
AND WILLIAM FISCHER
History
Bob Barker retired in 2007, but he was an iconic host dating back to 1956. He had a fascinating life and sadly passed away of natural causes at 99 years old on August 26, 2023.
Karate Lessons
Barker was in his 70s when he filmed "Happy Gilmore." In it, he had a brawl with Adam Sandler on the golf course, something he could have probably done in real life.
For eight years, Barker received karate lessons from Chuck Norris. According to The Washington Post, he attained a red belt in Tang Soo Do karate training.
Poverty
When Barker’s father died in 1929, he and his mother moved to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota, where he attended school from second to eighth grade.
He didn’t understand how dire their situation was at the time and has fond memories of those days, but he later described their hardships as "extraordinary."
Skin Cancer
The late host used to spend a lot of time in his birthday suit. In 2007, he told Esquire he used to go swimming "five or six times a day" while living in South Dakota.
He speculated, telling Esquire "I get skin cancers from my misspent life." He underwent treatment and remained cancer-free for the rest of his life.
Broadcasting Job
Barker trained as a pilot with eight different planes, but World War II ended before he got the chance to use his skills in combat.
A radio station job caught his eye and the manager was into planes, so he used his training to get the job. He started as a news writer before developing a taste for entertainment.
His Success & Wife
The woman behind Bob Barker’s success was Dorothy Jo, his wife of 36 years. Together, they performed in a series of radio talent shows in the 1950s.
She gave Barker a dream to pursue. He explained to The New York Times how "she did everything and anything to help me get a national show."