Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004) was an American talk show host, writer, radio and television comedian, and film actor. He was the second host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962. Time magazine's obituary of Paar reported wryly, "His fans would remember him as the fellow who split talk show history into two eras: Before Paar and Below Paar."[2]
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar[1]
May 1, 1918
Canton, Ohio, U.S.
January 27, 2004 (aged 85)
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
American
1947–1998
Irene Gubbins
(twice divorced)
1
Host of Tonight Starring Jack Paar (NBC)
Early life and education[edit]
Paar was born in 1918 in Canton, Ohio, the son of Lillian M. (Hein) and Howard Paar.[1][3] He moved with his family to Jackson, Michigan, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Lansing. As a child, he developed a stutter, which he learned to manage.[1] He contracted tuberculosis when he was 14 and left school at 16.[1][4]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
After dropping out of Jackson High School, Paar worked as a broadcaster for WIBM, a local radio station.[5] He went on to work as a humorous disc jockey at other Midwest stations, including WJR in Detroit, WIRE in Indianapolis, WGAR in Cleveland, and WBEN in Buffalo. In his book P.S. Jack Paar, he recalled doing utility duty at WGAR in 1938 when Orson Welles broadcast his famous simulated alien invasion, The War of the Worlds, over the CBS network and its WGAR affiliate. Attempting to calm possibly panicked listeners, Paar announced, "The world is not coming to an end. Trust me. When have I ever lied to you?"
In 1943, Paar was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, which interrupted his tenure as host of WBEN's morning show The Sun Greeter's Club. He was assigned to the U.S.O. in the South Pacific to entertain the troops.[6] Paar was a clever, wisecracking master of ceremonies; he narrowly escaped being disciplined when he impersonated senior officers, especially Col. Ralph Parr.[6]
Awards[edit]
Paar was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Performance by a Continuing Character in a Musical or Variety Series in 1951, and nominated again in 1958 for an Emmy for Best Continuing Performance in a Series by a Comedian, Singer, Host, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, or Panelist. He did not win either time.[1]
Death[edit]
During the 1990s, Paar's health began to decline steadily. He underwent triple-bypass heart surgery in 1998 and suffered a stroke in 2003. On January 27, 2004, he died at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut at age 85, with Miriam and their daughter Randy at his bedside.[1] Paar's body was cremated and his ashes were returned to his family.[22]