Anthony Ferraro Louis Barber (born 28 March 1940) is a
British Australian
Anglo-Celtic Australians is an ancestral grouping of Australians whose ancestors originate wholly or partially in the British Isles - predominantly in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
While Anglo-Celtic Australians do not form an off ...
Gold Logie
The Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, commonly referred to simply as the Gold Logie, is an award presented annually at the Australian Logie Awards.
The Gold Logie was first awarded at the 2nd Annual TV We ...
award-winning television
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
host, radio announcer singer and media personality, who has been active in the industry since the early 1960s.
Biography
Early life and radio career
Barber was born in
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, 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 of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
." He moved with his family to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 1947 and was educated by the Sisters of Mercy and the
Irish Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice.
Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, ...
.
He attended
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
in Dartmouth, graduating in 1960. Moving to Australia, he began his media career as a cadet announcer at
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
station 6GE in
Geraldton
Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
in 1961. 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."''
Singing
By the end of 1962, Barber was a leading
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
radio announcer 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 of
Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
and
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
. Before leaving
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
for
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
he also appeared in a number of plays with the
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
players.
After moving to Sydney, Barber appeared at numerous hotel
talent quest
A music competition is a public event designed to identify and award outstanding musical ensembles, soloists, composers, conductors and musicologists. Pop music competitions are music competitions which are held to find pop starlets.
Examples ...
s, a regular role as resident
compere and 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 1960s
cigarette
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
which brought him national recognition.
It was at this point that the then head of the
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
,
Bruce Gyngell
Bruce Gyngell AO (8 July 1929 – 7 September 2000) was an Australian television executive, active for more than 40 years in both Australian and UK television. Although Gyngell began his career in radio, in the 1950s he stepped into the arena o ...
, spotted Barber and was understood to have liked what he saw and suggested that he host a
Reg Grundy
Reginald Roy Grundy (4 August 1923 – 6 May 2016) was an Australian entrepreneur and media mogul, best known for his numerous television productions. He was the producer of various Australian game shows, such as '' Blankety Blanks'' (based on ...
show.
Media career
While Barber is more noted for his role as host of ''
Sale of the Century
''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...
'', his origins in television date back to the early 1970s when he hosted the then popular Seven Network
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
''The $25,000 Great Temptation''. 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 series ''
Number 96
96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down.
In mathematics
96 is:
* an octagonal number.
* a refactorable number.
* an untouchable number.
* a semiperfe ...
'' screening on the
0-10 Networks. ''Number 96'' won the ratings battle and ''The $25,000 Great Temptation'' aired its last show in 1975. Barber then hosted the Australian version of ''
Family Feud
''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes.
The show has had three separate runs, the ...
'' on the
Nine Network
The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
from 1977 until 1979.
In 1980, the
Grundy Organization, on the advice of its founder and producer,
Reg Grundy
Reginald Roy Grundy (4 August 1923 – 6 May 2016) was an Australian entrepreneur and media mogul, best known for his numerous television productions. He was the producer of various Australian game shows, such as '' Blankety Blanks'' (based on ...
, decided to revive the ''$25,000 Great Temptation'' format using the original international title, ''
Sale of the Century
''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...
''. Screened nationally on the Nine Network, Barber hosted the show from 1980–91. His hostesses during his time were
Victoria Nicholls
Victoria Nicolls, (born February 1954) often misspelt as Victoria Nicholls, is an Australian actress and television personality. Nicolls is well remembered by viewers for appearing in the Australian game show ''Sale of the Century'' as a hoste ...
(1980–82),
Delvene Delaney
Delvene Delaney (born 26 August 1951) is an Australian actress of soap opera and film, television presenter and singer.
Career
Delaney was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia, on 26 August 1951, the beauty pageant winner found fame on Austra ...
(1982–85) and
Alyce Platt
Alyce Mary A Platt (born 19 December 1963) is an Australian actress and singer. As an actress, she had roles in the TV soap operas '' Sons and Daughters'' and '' Neighbours'', and worked as a TV presenter and game show host, including on ''Sal ...
(1986–91). Barber left the show in 1991 after being offered a 12-month contract renewal instead of the usual three-year deal; Platt left at the same time. Host
Glenn Ridge
Glenn Daryl Ridge (born 21 November 1955 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian television and radio presenter, and the owner and managing director of the Q Media Group, a production company making television specials and documentaries.
...
and co-host
Jo Bailey
Joanne Louise Silvagni (née Bailey; 10 March 1970) is an Australian model and television personality and television hostess/compere.
Career
Silvagni was born on 10 March 1970 to Barrie and Fran Bailey and was educated at Tintern Grammar, in t ...
replaced them.
In 1993, Barber went on to host the short-lived Australian version of ''
Jeopardy!
''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
'' (
Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
). 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 that ''Jeopardy!'' Was his favorite of all the game shows he hosted in his career. After ''Jeopardy'', Barber succeeded
John Burgess as host of ''
Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Art
* ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...
'' (Seven Network) in July 1996 following the show's relocation from Adelaide to Sydney as part of an attempted revamp.
As part of 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 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 to
Rob Elliott
Rob or ROB may refer to:
Places
* Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia
* Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia
People
* Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn
* Rob ...
. During his time on TV, Barber estimates that he has hosted over 8,500 individual episodes of successful Grundy games.
Recently he hosted a small competition on the Australian Cable TV network
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...
seven nights a week called ''TV1's Cash Trivia Challenge''. On 14 March 2007, he returned to his roots making an appearance as guest host on ''
Temptation
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
'', alongside his former co-host
Alyce Platt
Alyce Mary A Platt (born 19 December 1963) is an Australian actress and singer. As an actress, she had roles in the TV soap operas '' Sons and Daughters'' and '' Neighbours'', and worked as a TV presenter and game show host, including on ''Sal ...
, during the ''Battle of the Network Shows'' series, where the original hosts,
Ed Phillips
Ed Phillips (born 6 July 1966) is an Australian television and radio presenter.
Career
Phillips began his career in 1988 with radio station Triple M, where he stayed until 1997. It was around this time that he acquired his on-air handle "Laugh ...
and
Livinia Nixon
Livinia Helen Nixon (19 March 1975) is an Australian television presenter and actress.
Nixon is the chief weather presenter for ''Nine News Melbourne''.[Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...]
''.
Honours
In June 1991 Barber received the
Medal of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
award "In recognition of service to the entertainment industry."
Australian Honours List 1991
retrieved 22 March 2013.
Awards
In 1973, Barber won the ''TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' .
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
References
External links
Profile
mediaman.com.au; accessed 18 December 2016.
Profile
imdb.com; accessed 3 September 2017.
Further reading
*Barber, Tony (2001). ''Who am I?'', Random House;
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Tony
1940 births
Living people
Australian male singers
Australian people of Irish descent
Australian game show hosts
English emigrants to Australia
English people of Irish descent
Gold Logie winners
People from Oldham
Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia