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Hugh Downs

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Downs in 1972

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

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

Other websites

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