John Davidson (entertainer)
John Hamilton Davidson[1] (born December 13, 1941)[2] is an American actor, singer, and game-show host known for hosting That's Incredible!, Time Machine, and Hollywood Squares in the 1980s, and a revival of The $100,000 Pyramid in 1991.
For other people named John Davidson, see John Davidson (disambiguation).
John Davidson
Denison University
- Actor
- singer
- game show host
1958–present
- The Girl with Something Extra (1973-1974)
- That's Incredible! (1980-1984)
- Time Machine (1985)
- Hollywood Squares (1986-1989)
- The $100,000 Pyramid (1991)
3
Biography[edit]
Davidson was born to two Baptist ministers, Dr. James Allie Davidson (1908–1984) and Elizabeth Emma Beck (1908–1996), in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, lived in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and graduated from White Plains High School (in White Plains, New York), before entering Denison University. He thought about following in his parents' footsteps, but ultimately decided that he would rather sing about love than preach it.[3]
Davidson worked in television programs including sitcoms, game shows, variety shows, and talk shows. He appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of The Fantastiks in 1964 (with Ricardo Montalbán and Susan Watson). In the summer of 1966, he was the host to two prime-time variety hours titled The Kraft Summer Music Hall and The John Davidson Show (which included George Carlin and Richard Pryor).[4]
As the 1980s began, he became well known for hosting, alongside Fran Tarkenton and Cathy Lee Crosby, That's Incredible! (1980–84), a human-interest/stunt-themed series whose creation, by Alan Landsburg, followed in the tradition of the 1950s television show You Asked for It.
Film career[edit]
Davidson acted in many movies including The Happiest Millionaire (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), Coffee, Tea, or Me (1973), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders II, (1980) and Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Stage work[edit]
Davidson has appeared in productions of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Kismet, State Fair, Man of La Mancha, Chicago, and The Will Rogers Follies, at the Surflight Theatre in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. He has also performed the autobiographical play Father/Son and Holy Ghost, about his relationship with his father, who was a minister.
In July 1991 Davidson appeared in summer stock with Sacramento Music Circus of Sacramento, California, in The Music Man alongside Susan Watson, Richard Paul, Carol Swarbrick, and the Delta Music Society Quartet of Sacramento.
Davidson performed daily[17] in 1993–94 in Branson at a theater bearing his name.
In late 2011 Davidson was listed as a guest star with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California.[18]
In June 2012 Davidson took on the role of Henry in the off-Broadway revival of The Fantasticks. In April 2013 he took on the role of the Wizard in the first North American tour of Wicked.[19] In 2016, Davidson played Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond at Judson Theatre Company in Pinehurst, North Carolina.[20] In June 2017, he took on the role of Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook in the North American tour of Finding Neverland.[21]
Personal life[edit]
Davidson's first marriage was to Jackie Miller. He has two children: John Davidson Jr., who often appeared with his father on later versions of Hollywood Squares; and Jennifer (Davidson) Kane. Since 1983 Davidson has been married to former backup singer Rhonda Rivera, and they have a daughter Ashleigh Davidson. They live primarily in Tamworth, New Hampshire.[22]
The son of two Baptist ministers, Davidson now identifies as an atheist, declaring himself "openly secular" in a video for the Openly Secular Coalition begun by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, the Secular Coalition for America, and other humanist groups.[22]