| Johnny Olson | |
 Johnny Olson on The Price Is Right
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| Born | May 22, 1910 Windom, Minnesota |
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| Died | October 12, 1985 (age 75) Santa Monica, California |
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson (May 22, 1910 – October 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer, most notable for announcing 32 game shows from Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions, from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Windom is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic An announcer is a Voice actor who works in Television, Radio or Film, usually providing Narrations News updates Station Mark Goodson ( January 14, 1915 &ndash December 18, 1992) was a successful American Television producer who specialized William (Wilbur S "Bill" Todman ( July 31, 1916 &ndash July 29, 1979) was an American Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)
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Early career
Born in Windom, Minnesota, while landing jobs at WIBA and KGDA in and nearby Madison, Wisconsin after 1928, Olson enrolled in pharmacy classes at the University of Minnesota. Windom is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. Madison is the capital of the US state of Wisconsin and the County seat of Dane County. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pharmacy (from the Greek φάρμακον 'pharmakon' = drug is the Health profession that links the Health sciences with the chemical sciences The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. He also worked a string of odd jobs, from soda jerk to singer. His first network job on radio was in 1944, announcing the musical-game show, Ladies Be Seated, a stunt game like "Truth or Consequences" broadcast on the Blue Network; as late as 1956, Olson had a crack at another radio quiz, the short-lived Second Chance, somewhat similar to the earlier hit Queen for a Day in that this show, too, focused on guest contestants' tribulations, in this case a chance at rectifying a mistake or a loss in life. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Truth or Consequences was an American quiz show, originally hosted on NBC Radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57 and later on television The Blue Network was the on-air name of an American radio production and distribution service from 1942 to 1945 which traced its formal origins back to 1927 Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Queen for a Day was an American radio and television show. It helped usher in American broadcast listeners' and viewers' fascination with big
Early announcing work
Olson's first TV announcing job was on the final year of the original Name That Tune in 1958; also in that year Olson announced the Merv Griffin-hosted Play Your Hunch, which lasted until 1963 and began his long association with Goodson-Todman Productions. Name That Tune was a television Game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of Songs. Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin Jr ( July 6, 1925 &ndash August 12, 2007) was an American Television host and Play Your Hunch was an American game show first hosted by Merv Griffin from 1958 to 1962, and was then hosted by Robert Q He was also a substitute announcer on the ABC version of Supermarket Sweep. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. For more information on the British version of Supermarket Sweep see Dale's Supermarket Sweep.
Beginning in 1960, Olson announced the CBS prime-time panel game To Tell The Truth (on which he greeted each team of challengers with the question, "What is your name, please?"). CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. To Tell the Truth is an American Television Game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson - Todman The following year, he added duties on sister show What's My Line?, and in 1962 began announcing The Match Game with Gene Rayburn in daytime on NBC until that series ended in 1969. What's My Line? is a weekly panel Game show which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Match Game also called The Match Game was an American Television Game show that celebrities and contestants answering Gene Rayburn ( December 22, 1917 &ndash November 29, 1999) was an American Radio and Television personality The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's
Olson was also announcer for Jackie Gleason's variety show from 1962 until its cancellation in 1970. Herbert Walton Gleason Jr, baptized John Herbert "Jackie" Gleason ( February 26, 1916 – June 24, 1987) was an A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts especially Musical performances and Comedy Skits and Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The first few seasons were recorded in New York City, while the last few seasons were produced in Miami Beach, Florida, or as Olson would say at the beginning of each show, "The sun and fun capital of the world. The City of New York "
Olson continued to announce Line? and Truth when both shows moved from CBS to syndication in the late 1960s, but his stint on both shows ended when he was designated announcer of the 1972 revivals of The Price Is Right and I've Got a Secret, necessitating a move to Hollywood. The Price Is Right is an five time Emmy Award-winning American Game show centering on contestants guessing the retail prices of featured prizes For IGAS qua graphology organization see International Graphoanalysis Society I've Got a Secret is a weekly panel Game show produced
The Price Is Right
Olson was best known for his work on the CBS and syndicated versions of The Price Is Right beginning with its debut on September 4, 1972, until his unexpected passing in October 1985. The Price Is Right is an five time Emmy Award-winning American Game show centering on contestants guessing the retail prices of featured prizes Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In addition to serving as Barker's sidekick, Olson was also a beloved and valued member of the cast. He also had a lot of on-camera exposure prior to calling out the contestants' names, on each of the episodes. More than just an announcer of prize copy, Olson appeared on camera as various characters in many of the episodes' Showcases, and made the words "Come on down!" a catch phrase carried on by his successors, Rod Roddy (1986-2003) and Rich Fields (2004-present). A catch phrase (or catchphrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy ( September 28, 1937 &ndash October 27, 2003) was an American radio and television Announcer Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Wayne "Rich" Fields (born November 30, 1960, in Bay Village, Ohio) and is an American broadcaster and "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
Match Game, and later career
In 1973, Olson returned to Match Game, another show transplanted from New York to California, and began another nine-year association with that series. During the 1970s and early 1980s, while going strong with his announcing duties on Price and Match, he announced nine other shorter-lived game shows, including Now You See It, Mindreaders, Double Dare, the second version of Tattletales, and his final non-Price assignment, Body Language. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Now You See It was an American Television Game show created by Frank Wayne for Mark Goodson - Bill Todman Mindreaders was a game show produced by Goodson-Todman Productions which aired on NBC from August 13, 1979 through Double Dare was an American Television Game show, produced by Mark Goodson - Bill Todman Productions that ran from Tattletales was a Game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. Olson's name was occasionally the solution to clues and puzzles on shows he announced for; this happened on both Now You See It and Body Language. Additionally, "Come on _______" was used as a question in the Super Match portion of an episode of Match Game with Price host Bob Barker serving as a member the panel, and Gene Rayburn called Olson to center stage to read the top answer ("Come on down!"). Robert William Barker (Born December 12 1923) is a nineteen-time Emmy Award -winning former American Television Game show Gene Rayburn ( December 22, 1917 &ndash November 29, 1999) was an American Radio and Television personality Olson spent his off time on his spacious farm located at Buckingham Acres in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States.
Death
Olson died on October 12, 1985 from a cerebral hemorrhage he had suffered several days earlier, in Santa Monica, California. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain The staff and crew of The Price Is Right learned of Olson's condition as Studio 33 at CBS was being prepared for another day's taping. Production was canceled for the rest of the week (shows were recorded several weeks in advance of broadcast). There was no on-air mention of Olson's death until October 29, 1985. The last Olson-announced episode aired on November 8, 1985.
| Preceded by Johnny Gilbert (in the original version, 1963-1965) |
The Price Is Right announcer September 4, 1972–November 8, 1985 |
Succeeded by Rod Roddy 1986–2003 |
External links
- Internet Movie Database: Johnny Olson
- A Tribute to Johnny Olson, written by fellow announcer Randy West
- http://www.j-shea.com/TPIR/nighttime/ audio of Johnny Olson announcing 1970s nighttime episodes of The Price Is Right
- Rare audio clip of Olson's classic Warm-Up routine for Price is Right audiences.
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