Hugh Downs

Hugh Malcolm Downs (February 14, 1921 – July 1, 2020) was an American radio and television broadcaster, announcer, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer.

For many years, he held the Guinness World Record for the most hours on commercial network television, before Regis Philbin broke his record.^[1]

Downs was announcer/sidekick for Tonight Starring Jack Paar from 1957 to 1962,^[2]^[3] co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971,^[4] host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969,^[5]^[6] and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from 1978 to 1999.^[7]

Downs was born in Akron, Ohio on February 14, 1921. His career would start in 1945 and since then he had appeared in over 100 television programs and guest star appearances, he retired in 1999. He was married to Ruth Shaheen from 1944 until her death in 2017. They had two children together.

Downs died on July 1, 2020, in Scottsdale, Arizona from heart failure. He was 99.^[8]

References

↑ "Hugh Downs, Perennial Small-Screen Fixture, Is Dead at 99". The New York Times.^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "A Matchless Library Television Archive: 1946–1982". atvaudio.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
↑ "A Matchless Library Television Archive: 1946–1982". atvaudio.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
↑ Mink, Eric; Dolphin, Laurie; Brown, Christian (October 1, 2003). Dolphin, Laurie; Brown, Christian (eds.). This is Today: A Window On Our Times. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. xiii. ISBN 0740738534.
↑ "Concentration". fiftiesweb.com. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
↑ Ryan, Steve (1991). Classic Concentration: The Game, the Show, the Puzzles. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 13. ISBN 9780806984681. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
↑ Lisa de Moraes (May 6, 1999). "Host Hugh Downs To Leave '20/20'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
↑ "American broadcaster Hugh Downs dies at age 99". ABC 15. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.

Other websites

Media related to Hugh Downs at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Hugh Downs at Wikiquote

Hugh Downs on IMDb

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[nytimes-1] "Hugh Downs, Perennial Small-Screen Fixture, Is Dead at 99". The New York Times.^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] "A Matchless Library Television Archive: 1946–1982". atvaudio.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.

[3] "A Matchless Library Television Archive: 1946–1982". atvaudio.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.

[4] Mink, Eric; Dolphin, Laurie; Brown, Christian (October 1, 2003). Dolphin, Laurie; Brown, Christian (eds.). This is Today: A Window On Our Times. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. xiii. ISBN 0740738534.

[5] "Concentration". fiftiesweb.com. Retrieved January 1, 2020.

[ryan-6] Ryan, Steve (1991). Classic Concentration: The Game, the Show, the Puzzles. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 13. ISBN 9780806984681. Retrieved January 7, 2020.

[post-7] Lisa de Moraes (May 6, 1999). "Host Hugh Downs To Leave '20/20'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2020.

[8] "American broadcaster Hugh Downs dies at age 99". ABC 15. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.

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v t e The Tonight Show
Tenures Allen's Paar's Carson's (episodes) Leno's first (episodes) O'Brien's (episodes) Leno's second (episodes) Fallon's (episodes)
Hosts	Steve Allen (1954–57) Jack Paar (1957–62) Johnny Carson (1962–92) Jay Leno (1992–2009, 2010–14) Conan O'Brien (2009–10) Jimmy Fallon (2014–present)
Announcers/sidekicks	Gene Rayburn Franklin Pangborn Hugh Downs Ed McMahon Edd Hall John Melendez Andy Richter Wally Wingert Steve Higgins
The Tonight Show Band	Leno era I (Marsalis/Eubanks) O'Brien era (Weinberg) Leno era II (Minor) Fallon era (Questlove)
Bandleaders	Skitch Henderson José Melis Milton DeLugg Doc Severinsen Branford Marsalis Kevin Eubanks Max Weinberg Rickey Minor Questlove
Taping locations	Hudson Theatre NBC Studios New York NBC Studios Burbank Universal Studios Hollywood
Prime-time spin-offs	The Steve Allen Show The Jack Paar Program The Jay Leno Show
Recurring sketches	Miss Miller Carnac the Magnificent Floyd R. Turbo Headlines Leno era sketches O'Brien era sketches Fallon era sketches
Production companies	Carson Productions Conaco Broadway Video
Related articles	1992 host conflict 2010 host and timeslot conflict Carson's Comedy Classics Late Night Sylvester L. Weaver, Jr. The Late Shift (book) The Late Shift (movie) The War for Late Night Johnny Carson: King of Late Night "Ew!" "Johnny's Theme"