Tony Barber
Tony Barber | |
|---|---|
 Barber in 2011 | |
| Born | Anthony Ferraro Louis Barber 28 March 1940 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1961−present |
| Known for | Host of local versions ofGreat Temptation,Sale of the CenturyandWheel of Fortune' |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | Kelly, Jacqueline[1] |
Anthony Ferraro Louis BarberOAM(born 28 March 1940) is aBritish AustralianGold Logieaward-winning televisiongame showhost, radio announcer, singer and media personality, who has been active in the industry since the early 1960s.[2]
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Barber was born inOldham,Lancashire,England in March 1940. He has said that he "owes much of his enthusiastic and driving personality to a loving Irish grandma and a whole street full of aunts who kept the spirits high during the dark years ofWorld War II."He moved with his family toAustraliain 1947 and was educated by the Sisters of Mercy and theIrish Christian Brothers.
He attendedBritannia Royal Naval Collegein Dartmouth, graduating in 1960.
In his own words:
"The Sisters of so-called Mercy taught me to sing & dance, the brothers taught me to bob & weave. The navy taught me to play rugby."[3][4]
Radio[edit]
Barber started his media career in 1961, as a cadet announcer at radio station6GEinGeraldton, Western Australia.
By the end of 1962, Barber was a leading radio announcer inPerth,as well as the star of a weekly floor show at the Charles Hotel and another twice-weekly event at the Lido Coral Room where he performed impressions ofJohnny MathisandPaul Anka.Before leavingWestern AustraliaforNew South Waleshe also appeared in a number of plays with theScarboroughplayers.
After moving to Sydney, Barber appeared at numerous hoteltalent quests,a regular role as residentcompereand vocalist at the Spellsons nitery in Pitt Street. This was in addition to holding down a regular job as an advertising executive, where at one point he cast himself as the "Cambridge Whistler", a central character in a 1960scigarettecommercialwhich brought him national recognition.
Television presenter[edit]
It was at this point that the then head of theSeven Network,Bruce Gyngell,spotted Barber and was understood to have liked what he saw and suggested that he host aReg Grundyshow.[5]
While Barber is more noted for his role as host ofSale of the Century,his origins in television date back to the early 1970s when he hosted the then popular Seven Networkgame showThe $25,000 Great Temptation.[6]The show was successful enough for the network that both daytime and prime time editions of the show were screened.
The show only faltered when in 1974, Seven decided to move the show from its 7:00 pm timeslot to the later 8:30 pm timeslot in an effort to attract viewers away from the then popular seriesNumber 96screening on the0-10 Networks.Number 96won the ratings battle andThe $25,000 Great Temptationaired its last show in 1975. Barber then hosted the Australian version ofFamily Feudon theNine Networkfrom 1977 until 1979.[citation needed]
In 1980, theGrundy Organization,on the advice of its founder and producer, Reg Grundy, decided to revive the$25,000 Great Temptationformat using the original international title,Sale of the Century.Screened nationally on the Nine Network, Barber hosted the show from 1980–91, supported by a roster of co-hosts during his time includingVictoria Nicolls(1980–82),Delvene Delaney(1982–85) andAlyce Platt(1986–91). Barber decided to leave the show in 1991 after being offered only a 12-month contract renewal period instead of his usual three-year deal; Platt left at the same time, he was replaced byGlenn Ridgeas host, with co-hostJo Bailey.
Barber went on to host the short-lived Australian version ofJeopardy!onNetwork Tenin 1993. It has been said that its failure was partly due to placing it in the 6:00 pm timeslot against high-rating news bulletins of the day. Barber later stated in an interview thatJeopardy!was his favourite of all the game shows he hosted in his career. AfterJeopardy,Barber succeededJohn Burgessas host ofWheel of Fortuneon the Seven Network in July 1996 following the show's relocation from Adelaide to Sydney as part of an attempted revamp. Also part of the revamp, in an attempt to win viewers back, the theme music that had been introduced the previous year was reinstated, the new set underwent minor changes and the former prize shop was reincarnated to an extent – contestants upon solving a puzzle were offered three prizes and one had to be selected. By the end of 1996, these changes together with the loss of the familiar Burgess as host resulted in poor viewing figures, and Barber decided to leave the show. Barber appeared at the beginning of the 1997 series premiere to hand the show over toRob Elliott.During his time on TV, Barber estimates that he has hosted over 8,500 individual episodes of successful Grundy games.[7]
He hosted a small competition on the Australian Cable TV networkFoxtelseven nights a week calledTV1's Cash Trivia Challenge.On 14 March 2007, he returned to his roots, making an appearance as guest host onTemptation,alongside his former co-host Alyce Platt, during theBattle of the Network Showsseries where the original hosts,Ed PhillipsandLivinia Nixonappeared as contestants.
In August 2013, Barber was announced as a contestant on the upcoming series ofDancing with the Stars.[8]He then returned to Family Feud as a contestant on 21 November 2016 as part ofAll Star Family Feudhosted byGrant DenyerwithKerri-Anne Kennerley,Glenn Ridge, and John Burgess as team members. His team had won the game and he ended the episode with his signature sign-off catchphrase: "Keep smiling, and bye for now."[9]
Honours[edit]
In June 1991 Barber received theMedal of the Order of Australiaaward "In recognition of service to the entertainment industry."[10]
Awards[edit]
In 1973, Barber won theTV WeekGold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.[citation needed]
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [11] | ||
| Temptation |
|
54 |
| If You Feel Like Singing |
|
- |
| Country Barber |
|
72 |
| Country Barber |
|
72 |
| I Believe |
|
31 |
| You'll Never Walk Alone |
|
96 |
| Love Changes Everything |
|
49 |
| You Light Up My Life |
|
39 |
Compilation albums[edit]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Best of Tony Barber |
|
Filmography[edit]
| Title | Year | Role |
| Homicide | 1967 | Dick Boyd - Gavin Jones |
| Temptation(TV series) | 1970 | as Himself - Host |
| The Great Temptation(TV series) | 1971 | as Himself - Host |
| Buster Fiddess Memorial Concert(TV special) | 1972 | as Himself - Host |
| ALP: It's Time(video) | 1972 | as Himself |
| The 13th Annual TV Week Logie Awards(TV special) | 1973 | as Himself - Gold Logie Winner |
| Penthouse Club(TV series) | 1972-1975 | as Himself - Host - Himself |
| Name That Tune(TV series) | 1975 | as Himself |
| Family Feud(TV series) | 1977-1980 | as Himself - Host |
| Wheel of Fortune(TV series) | 1981 | as Himself - Host |
| The 24th Annual TV Week Logie Awards(TV Special) | 1982 | as Himself |
| The Don Lane Show(TV series) | 1983 | as Himself |
| Sale of the Century(TV series) | 1980-1986 | As Self - Host |
| Jeopardy!(TV series) | 1992 | as Self - Host |
| The Late Show(TV series) | 1993 | as Himself |
| Wedlocked(TV series) | 1994 | Tony Johnson |
| The Mick Molloy Show(TV series) | 1999 | as Himself |
| Fox Studio's Australia: The Grand Opening(TV special) | 1999 | as Himself |
| Pizza(TV series) | 2001 | Rupert Packer |
| Rove Live(TV series) | 2001 | as Himself |
| Breakaway(TV series) | 2003 | as Himself - Host |
| Graham Kennedy: Farewell to the King(TV movie) | 2005 | as Himself |
| Good Morning Australia(TV series) | 2005 | Self - Presenter -Self, Guest |
| Temptation(TV series) | 2007 | Self - Host |
| Dancing with the Stars(TV series) | 2013 | Self - as Contestant |
| All Star Family Feud(TV series) | 2016 | as Himself - Contestant |
| Today | 2020 | as Himself - Guest |
| The Fame Game: mWhat Happens When the Applause Happens(TV special) | 2022 | as Himself |
References[edit]
- ^ab"Tony Barber biography".Archived from the original on 1 April 2004.Retrieved18 December2016.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^"Tony Barber AM".
- ^"Tony Barber profile".ICMI Speakers Bureau.Archived fromthe originalon 2 September 2013.Retrieved21 July2013.
- ^"Tony Barber profile".Celebrity Speakers.Retrieved21 July2013.
- ^"Lead us into Temptation".The Age.26 May 2005.Retrieved14 March2007.
- ^Televisionau.com (29 July 2006)."Aussie TV Game Shows".Retrieved14 March2007.
- ^Celebrity SpeakersAustralia/Christine Maher Group."Speaker Biography - Tony Barber".Retrieved14 March2007.
- ^Dancing With The Stars new line-up revealed,News.com.au, 26 August 2013; accessed 29 March 2016.
- ^"Family Feud All Star Fast Money: TV Hosts storm the stage!".YouTube.
- ^Australian Honours List 1991;retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 26.ISBN0-646-11917-6.Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010(pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
External links[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- Barber, Tony (2001).Who am I?,Random House;ISBN978-1-74051-002-8
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