Iconic game show host Tom Kennedy, who featured in dozens of shows including "Name That Tune," has died at age 93. The TV personality's friend, Steve Beverly, announced the news on Sunday.
"With a heavy heart, I am sad to share the news that beloved game show host Tom Kennedy, who emceed 16 shows between 1958 and 1987, died Wednesday evening at his home in Oxnard, California," Beverly wrote in a Facebook post, adding that Kennedy had not been well in recent months.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Kennedy moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in broadcast and, after working in radio for several years, he began hosting game shows in the 1950s, according to IMDB.
Over the next 30 years, he appeared in dozens of shows including "Dr. I.Q.," "You Don’t Say!," "Split Second," as well as "Name That Tune," which he hosted during the 70s and 80s. In addition to TV, Kennedy also harbored a passion for acting. He guest starred on "That Girl, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," and "Cannon" and clinched leading roles in "Hardcastle and McCormick" as well as stage productions of "The Odd Couple," "Tunnel of Love," and "There’s a Girl in My Soup."
Kennedy is survived by his children Linda Ann Narz, James Narz Jr., and daughter Courtney Ellen Narz, as well as his daughter-in-law Linda Papulis Narz, granddaughter Abigail Norah Narz, and his sister, Mary Lovett Scully. His wife of 59 years passed away in 2011.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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