Robert William Barker was born on December 12th, 1923 in Darrington Washington. He attended Drury College in Springfield Missouri on a basketball athletic scholarship. He joins the United States Navy Reserve in 1943 during World War II to train as a fighter pilot, but did not serve in combat.

After the war he returned to Drury College to finish his education. While attending college he worked his first media job at KTTS-FM Radio in Springfield.

In 1950 he moved to California to advance his broadcasting career and was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show which ran for the next six years from Burbank. He was hosting an audience-participation radio show in Los Angeles when game shoe producer Ralph Edwards happened to be listening and liked Bob’s voice and style. Ralph was looking for a new host for his long-running daytime television show Truth or Consequences. Bob started hosting the show on December 31st, 1956 and continued with the program until 1975.

In early 1972 Mark Goodson and Bill Todman began shopping a modernized revival of The Price Is Right to stations with Dennis James as host. CBS expressed interest in the service but had one condition. Instead of Dennis James they wanted Bob Barker installed as host. Then on September 4th, 1972 Bob began hosting The Price is Right.

In 1982 he began ending each episode with his trademark phrase many of us fans know by heart. ”This is Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered.”

Barker announced on October 31st, 2006 that he would be retiring from The Price is Right. He taped his final episode on June 6th with the show airing twice on June 15th, 2007.

Bob was the series longest-running host doing 6,586 episodes spanning 35 years with the show. The Price is Right has aired over 9,000 episodes since its debut and is the longest-running game show in the United States.

His achievements include a total of 90 daytime Emmy awards. 14 times for Outstanding Game Show Host, and 4 times for Outstanding Game show as executive producer of The Price is Right. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is part of the Television Hall of Fame (class of 2004), the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (class of 2008), and was named the Greatest Game Show Host of all time by Time Magazine.

Barker died at his home in Los Angeles on August 26th, 2023 at the age of 99 following several years with Alzheimer’s disease, something he had kept hidden from the public. He was interred alongside his wife at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.

To celebrate Bob’s life, friend, fellow collector and coin designer Joe Watts has created a very special elongated coin. The design includes a wonderful image of Bob in front of The Big Wheel, and of course his famous tag line. If you are interested in one of these coins for your own collection you can reach out to Joe through The Elongated Coin Collectors Club Facebook group that I have linked here. That way you can order one, or maybe more….if the price is rights! Keep on Pressing.

---