Eleanor Mondale
Eleanor Mondale | |
---|---|
![]() Eleanor Mondale Poling at theMinnesota State Fairin 2007 | |
Born | Eleanor Jean Mondale January 19, 1960 Minneapolis,Minnesota,U.S. |
Died | September 17, 2011 | (aged 51)
Alma mater | St. Lawrence University |
Known for | Radio and television host |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses | |
Parent(s) | Walter Mondale Joan Mondale |
Eleanor Jane Mondale Poling(January 19, 1960 – September 17, 2011) was an Americanradio personality,televisionhost, and actress.
Biography
[edit]Mondale was the only daughter ofJoan Mondaleand formerVice PresidentWalter Mondale.Her older brother is formerMinnesota State SenatorTheodore Adams "Ted" Mondale.Her younger brother isattorneyWilliam Hall Mondale, the former assistantAttorney General of Minnesota(1990–2000). For her senior year of high school, Mondale attended St. Timothy's, a boarding school outside of Baltimore. After graduating fromSt. Lawrence UniversityinCanton,New York,she moved to begin a career inHollywood.[1]
Personal life
[edit]After she completed her college education, Mondale quickly earned a reputation in the media for being a "wild child", although she claimed many of the rumors were unfounded.[1]She was married three times and had no children. She was involved with some high-profile men, including, reportedly, former PresidentBill Clinton,during his time in office.[2]
Mondale's first marriage, to football playerKeith Van Horne,lasted from April 9, 1988, until August 1989, when Van Horne filed for divorce.[3]In 1990, she dated rock singer-songwriterWarren Zevon,traveling on tour with him to Australia.[1][4]She also datedWashington Redskinsoffensive tackleGeorge Starke.[5]
Mondale's second marriage, from June 21, 1991, to November 1991, was to Greg Malban, a DJ known as Greg Thunder.
In 1999, Mondale sold her house in Los Angeles to move to New York to be with her then-boyfriend, New York plastic and reconstructive surgeon Joe DeBellis.[6]
In June 2005, Mondale marriedMinneapolismusicianChan Polingof the groupThe New StandardsandThe Suburbs.Mondale and Poling lived on a small farm inMinnesota,where they raised miniature horses until her death.
Acting career
[edit]Mondale took time off from college in 1981 to move toHollywood.[7]She worked briefly as an extra and had one speaking line in the TV series240-Robert.[7]She then returned to St. Lawrence University, in Canton, New York, graduating in 1982. By January 1983, Mondale was back in Hollywood, where she had small roles on TV shows such asThree's Company,Dynasty,andMatt Houston.[7]
Eleanor Mondale was a regular guest onHoward Stern'sE!TV showduring the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Journalism career
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Eleanor_Mondale_and_Fred_Thomson.jpg/220px-Eleanor_Mondale_and_Fred_Thomson.jpg)
Mondale began her journalism career while still in Los Angeles, taking a job atKABC-TVin 1985.[7]She left the station in late 1985 and soon moved to Chicago, getting her first radio break as a helicopter reporter atWMAQ (AM).[8]She continued taking fill-in radio news jobs at various Chicago radio stations, includingWCKG-FM.[7]She also was waiting for the pilot of aKing World Productionsshow, "The Rock 'n Roll Evening News", to be sold.[7]Within a few months the show began airing in national syndication, with Mondale working as its Midwest correspondent.[7]
In 1986, Mondale signed a one-year contract with powerhouse Chicago radio stationWGN (AM)to appear as a frequent contributor to programs.[9]In early 1987, Mondale joined Chicago radio stationWCKG-FMas a morning news anchor.[10]In June 1987, Mondale shifted to being the co-host of WCKG's morning show alongside John Fisher.[11]In early 1988, Mondale took a leave of absence from WCKG to collaborate with a Chicago writer on a book about the children of U.S. presidents.[12]
In June 1989, Mondale took a job in Minneapolis as an entertainment reporter forWCCO-TV.[13]In March 1990, Mondale quit unexpectedly just a few days before a local magazine was to publish a feature on Mondale titled "Walter and Joan's Wild Child".[14]
After leaving WCCO and spending some time inAustralia,[1]Mondale became a morning sidekick onWLOL-FMin Minneapolis, where she remained until the station was bought byMinnesota Public Radioin 1991.[8][1]She also hosted "The Great American TV Poll" on theLifetimecable channel.[8]
In April 1991, Mondale returned to Chicago's airwaves as a morning sidekick atWKQX,working alongside morning host Robert Murphy.[15]Mondale and fellow sidekick Dan Walker were forced out of WKQX in January 1993.[16]
After leaving WKQX, Mondale began working intelevision.In March 1993, Mondale andRobin Leachco-hosted a two-hour special on national television aboutMadonnatitled "Madonna Exposed".[17]In early 1994, Mondale began working as a correspondent forNBC'sTodayshow.[18]
In mid-1994, Mondale landed a job as anchor/host of "Q and E", a half-hour weekly celebrity show airing onE!,and was also a regular correspondent for the network's news division.[19]In 1996, Mondale was hired byCBSas aLos Angeles-based correspondent forThis Morning.[20]
Mondale also later hosted the E! showsWild Onin 1997 andE! News Live.She worked onESPNas a reporter on thehorse racingevents, which lasted two years (2002–2003). She covered forESPN2theProfessional Rodeo Cowboys Association.After ESPN, she co-hostedThe World's Greatest Auto Showsfor theSpeed Channelin 2004 and 2005. She worked for theCBS TelevisionshowThis Morning.
In 2006, after battling brain cancer for the first time, Mondale signed on as a host at WCCO-AM.[21]She remained there until 2009, when she left the airwaves to go on disability because of her cancer's recurrence.[22]
In 2013, she was posthumously inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame.[23]
Film career
[edit]Mondale had five speaking lines in the opening minutes of the 1991 filmDrop Dead Fred.[24] She appeared in the 1999 filmGround Controlas Christine, and narrated the feature documentary filmFritz: The Walter Mondale Story(2008), which details the life of her father and aspects of her own childhood. She also appeared in the short filmMirage(2004), directed bySayer Freyand produced by Shelli Ainsworth.
Illness and death
[edit]After a bout of seizures, Mondale was diagnosed withbrain cancerin June 2005. In the summer of 2006, the cancer was in remission, but she announced in February 2008 that a small tumor had returned and that she would seek treatment at theMayo Clinic.Mondale was again diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2009 and was scheduled to undergo surgery later that month.[25]She died from the disease at her home in Minnesota on September 17, 2011, at the age of 51.[26]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^abcdeLambert, Brian (December 2006)."Eleanor Mondale's Long, Strange Journey".Mnpls St Paul magazine.Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2007.RetrievedJune 20,2007.
- ^"Lewinsky allegedly freaked out at Clinton's affair with Mondale's daughter".NYPost.com. June 19, 2016.
- ^Kupcinet, Irv (August 4, 1989). "KUP'S COLUMN".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 36.
- ^I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon
- ^"What Do You Say When a 280-Lb. Bear Asks for a Date? Being No Fool, Eleanor Mondale Said No—at First".People.com.RetrievedAugust 18,2017.
- ^Ryon, Ruth (August 8, 1999). "Asking price more 'Simpatico'".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 3.
- ^abcdefgAnderson, Lisa (September 24, 1986). "A Politikid comes of age in Chicago; Eleanor Mondale trades L.A. for Chicago, Radio-TV Gigs and a Certain Bears Lineman".Chicago Tribune.p. 15.
- ^abcFeder, Robert (February 19, 1991). "'Q-101' veteran pays big price for success ".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 43.
- ^Feder, Robert (April 29, 1986). "Mondale wins WGN job after tough campaign".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 54.
- ^Feder, Robert (March 24, 1987). "Ober named president of CBS-owned stations".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 54.
- ^Feder, Robert (June 25, 1987). "'Big Tuna' Kalber sees no threat from Rather ".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 70.
- ^Feder, Robert (January 13, 1988). "Wrestling takes hold in prime time -".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 39.
- ^O'Malley, Kathy; Hanke Gratteau (June 20, 1989). "O'Malley & Gratteau INC".Chicago Tribune.p. 16.
- ^O'Malley, Kathy; Hanke Gratteau (March 23, 1990). "O'Malley & Gratteau INC".Chicago Tribune.p. 20.
- ^Feder, Robert (March 20, 1991). "Jacobson, Norville pull two odd stunts".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 47.
- ^Feder, Robert (February 1, 1993). "'Q-101' Eliminates Murphy's Minions ".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 23.
- ^Kupcinet, Irv (March 11, 1993). "KUP'S COLUMN".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 48.
- ^Feder, Robert (February 22, 1994). "Hold the Phone: FCC Slams B-96".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 29.
- ^Zwecker, Bill (July 18, 1994). "Eleanor Gets Stars to Open Up".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 13.
- ^Feder, Robert (September 16, 1996). "Channel 50 renews 'Ben Loves Chicago'".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 39.
- ^Feder, Robert (August 22, 2006). "Don't hold your breath for more Steve & Garry".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 53.
- ^"U.S. News | Latest National News, Videos & Photos - ABC News - ABC News".Abcnews.go.com.RetrievedAugust 18,2017.
- ^"Broadcasting Hall inductees: Mondale Poling, Rosen, Bremer among 8".StarTribune.com. June 11, 2013.RetrievedAugust 18,2017.
- ^Feder, Robert (March 28, 1991). "'Loop' beats WFMT for richest audience ".Chicago Sun-Times.p. 39.
- ^"WCCO Radio's Mondale To Undergo Cancer Surgery".WCCO.August 10, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2010.RetrievedAugust 31,2009.
- ^"Eleanor Mondale Dies At 51".WCCO.September 17, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 17,2011.
External links
[edit]- American film actresses
- American horse racing announcers
- American infotainers
- American radio personalities
- American television actresses
- American television sports announcers
- Children of vice presidents of the United States
- Deaths from brain cancer in the United States
- Motorsport announcers
- Actresses from Minneapolis
- St. Lawrence University alumni
- Women sports commentators
- 1960 births
- 2011 deaths
- Walter Mondale
- American people of Norwegian descent