Johnny Olson

Born in Windom, Minnesota, Olson was the youngest of ten children. He enrolled in pharmacy classes at the University of Minnesota. He also worked a string of odd jobs, from soda jerk to singer. After 1928, he landed jobs at WIBA in Poynette, Wisconsin and KGDA in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Olson joined WTMJ in Milwaukee in early 1933, organizing a five-piece jazz band called The Rhythm Rascals, and became one of the station's most popular personalities. The Rascals eventually made it to Hollywood, and would send daily recordings of their shows back to WTMJ. Olson would eventually return to Milwaukee and WTMJ, where he would go on to create the first iteration of Johnny Olson's Rumpus Room. The show attracted major national performers, including Spike Jones and The Andrews Sisters. By 1942, the immense popularity of Rumpus Room prompted WTMJ to dedicate the large unfinished television studio (plans for what would later become WTMJ-TV were suspended due to World War II) in their new facility to the program.

Olson's first network job on radio was in New York City in 1944, hosting (with his wife) the audience-participation show Ladies Be Seated, a stunt game along the lines of Truth or Consequences, broadcast on NBC Blue.[3] He had previously hosted several radio shows in Chicago, including the second iteration of Johnny Olson's Rumpus Room, a late-night variety show broadcast from 10:30 p.m. to midnight, which was also the name of a later daytime talk show he hosted on the DuMont Television Network.[4] He also was host of Johnny Olson's Luncheon Club on ABC radio in 1950-1951.[3]

In 1945, Olson and his wife hosted a five-week run of a TV version of Ladies Be Seated.[5]^: 577 From May 1947 to July 1949, Olson hosted Doorway to Fame, an evening television talent show on the new DuMont Television Network. From January 1949 to July 1952, Olson hosted Johnny Olson's Rumpus Room, a daytime television talk show which was the first daytime show broadcast from DuMont's flagship station WABD over DuMont's small East Coast network. Olson also hosted the Saturday-morning children's show Kids and Company on DuMont from September 1951 to June 1952, with co-host Ham Fisher.

On television, Olson was an announcer on Break the Bank[5] and was the announcer and sometimes the host on Fun for the Money on ABC-TV in 1949.[5]^: 372 Olson also was the announcer for Play Your Hunch.[6]^: 288-289

Olson was host of Homemaker's Jamboree, an audience-participation game show that debuted on WJZ-TV on October 5, 1952.[7]

Beginning in 1960, Olson announced the CBS prime-time panel game To Tell the Truth. The following year, he added duties on sister show What's My Line?, and in 1962 began announcing on the original Match Game in daytime on NBC until that series ended in 1969. Before going live, Olson did an audience warm-up by asking questions and getting the audience ready for the live telecast.

Twice, in 1965 and again in 1974, he appeared as the mystery guest on What's My Line?. The first time he managed to stump the panel; the second time, Arlene Francis guessed his identity.

Olson was also the announcer for The Jackie Gleason Show[1] from 1962 until its cancellation in 1970.

Olson continued to announce What's My Line? and To Tell the Truth after both shows moved from CBS to syndication in the late 1960s. His involvement with those shows ended when he was designated announcer of the 1972 revivals of The Price Is Right and I've Got a Secret, both of which were taped in Hollywood, where he relocated.

He was the announcer for five of The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethons from 1966 to 1970.[8]

Although Name That Tune, To Tell the Truth, What's My Line? and Match Game put Olson in the elite class of television game-show announcers, the revival of The Price Is Right cemented Olson's fame.[9] In addition to serving as host Bob Barker's sidekick, Olson was a beloved and valued member of the "cast". He warmed up the audiences prior to taping; during taping, he often received on-camera exposure (occasionally bantering with Barker) prior to calling out the contestants' names. He also frequently appeared in the showcases.[10]

His exhortation for contestants to "Come on down!" became a catchphrase, and a The Price Is Right tradition observed by his successors Rod Roddy (1986–2003), Rich Fields (2004–2010) and George Gray (2011–present).[11]

Olson began announcing for the revived Match Game.[6] As did executive producer Mark Goodson, Olson filled in on the days when a scheduled guest failed to appear in time for a taping. Olson missed only one taping of Match Game during the CBS years; Bern Bennett served as his fill-in for one week of daytime shows and one nighttime show in 1975 (a week's worth of shows was taped in one workday).

During the 1970s and early 1980s, during the peak of his announcing duties on The Price Is Right and Match Game, he worked on several other Goodson-Todman game shows. He announced:

He also filled in for:

On October 6, 1985, Olson suffered a stroke and was taken to St. John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, California, where he died October 12, 1985, at age 75.[10] Shortly afterwards, Bob Barker paid tribute to him at the end of the remaining episodes of The Price Is Right that were taped with Olson as announcer before he died:

Since taping this program, we've lost our good friend, Johnny Olson. You'll continue to see and hear Johnny on the many programs he's already taped. He was dearly loved by all of us, and he'll be sorely missed.[12]

— Bob Barker

• Johnny Olson at IMDb
• Johnny Olson at the Internet Broadway Database
• POV OnLine
• Johnny Olson at Find a Grave