WATCH: The Legendary Bob Barker Shares His Connection to Iowa
All weekend long, social media was abuzz with warm memories, classic videos, and even personal anecdotes about Bob Barker, the legendary game-show host, who passed away at 99-years-old on August 26th, 2023.
For many of us, Barker was a daytime TV staple as the host of The Price is Right from 1972 to 2007. The long-running joke amongst millennials is that when you were home sick from school, the doctor ordered ginger ale, chicken noodle soup, and an episode of The Price is Right in the late-morning. I, myself, and countless others can relate.
News networks, podcasts, and more have been flooding the airwaves with (deserved) tributes to Bob Barker over the last couple days. KCCI-TV caught up with Baker back in 2007, in lieu of his retirement from The Price is Right, where the game-show icon revealed his close connection to the state of Iowa.
While Barker was born into a modest life in Darrington, WA, he did, however, find himself in Iowa during his formative years. He learned to fly planes at the Naval Aviation Cadet in Ames, for one, and even had a fun "first" at a once popular bar in Des Moines:
I was a Naval Aviation Cadet station at Iowa State University in Ames [....] My first instructor's name was 'Shivers' [in 1943] I loved it, I had a great time [....] We used to go into Des Moines, and the first Manhattan I ever drank was in Babe's bar, I remember that! - Bob Barker to KCCI
In the interview clip, Barker also let out a "Go Hawkeyes!" before showtime. Furthermore, he also candidly spoke about his retirement to KCCI, including thoughts on his then-unnamed replacement:
The next guy who does The Price is Right may be much taller than I, or much shorter than I, or much slimmer than I, or much fatter than I, or who knows? But if he does the thing in a way that the viewers like it, then it works. That's all it takes. - Bob Barker to KCCI
Actor/comedian Drew Carey eventually replaced the tireless TV game show host and passionate animal rights activist hosting The Price is Right. It was surely a daunting task at first, but Carey has made himself an integral part of the program since 2007.
Read more about Bob Barker's time in Iowa on KCCI's website.