Downs served in the United States Army during World War II i… He was 99. From morning to night, Downs became one of TV’s most familiar faces, at one point holding the record for most hours – 10,000 – in front of a television camera (a record later broken by Regis Philbin). Hugh Downs, whose smooth delivery and warm demeanor led to a seven-decade career in television news and talk, died Wednesday at the age of 99. Hugh Downs, the versatile and Emmy-winning broadcaster whose decades-long TV career ranged from anchoring ABC News' "20/20" to the "Today" show to … News has learned the cause of the Playboy mogul's death. He launched one of the ’60s most popular daytime shows, the memory-matching game "Concentration," serving as host for more than 10 years even as he continued his "Today" duties. In 1982, Hugh went to visit his son, Eric in Munich, Germany, who became a Psychology Professor. Hugh Downs dies at 99 The former “20/20” and ABC News personality and longtime TV presence died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television's most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died … If I lost my credibility, what use would I be to a client?". Hugh Downs died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 1, 2020, at age 99. Hugh Downs, who anchored the TODAY show and ABC's "20/20," has died at the age of 99. Downs’ wife of 75 years, Ruth Shaheen, died in 2017. Following his retirement from the TV newsmagazine, Downs continued to author books, including his 2002 book "My America: What My Country Means to Me, by 150 Americans from All Walks of Life." He served as the announcer for one of the earliest incarnations of NBC’s "Tonight Show," starring Jack Paar, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. “But I knew by the end of the first hour I’d be thinking of something else to do, and I’d start doing it.”, In a note to staff Thursday, ABC News President James Goldston saluted Downs as a professional and as a person, quoting the broadcaster's esteemed colleagues, including "20/20" co-host Barbara Walters, who called him "a gentleman in every way." Legendary 'Today' show broadcaster dies at the age of 99. Barbara Walters. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "It was expedient. He will be deeply missed. Hugh Downs is seen on the set of "20/20" on Nov. 20, 1981. Downs was born in 1921 in Akron, Ohio to Edith (née Hicks) and Milton Howard Downs, who worked in business. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5) – Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Hugh Downs has died at the age of 99, according to a statement from his family. That same year, according to Walters, Downs had his first great-grandchild. She died … Hugh Downs, the avuncular, versatile TV personality, whose career stretched back to the birth of television, died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. He said he discovered that "we are not a country of despair… Some people wrote in rage, some in grief. Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television’s most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died at age 99. Hugh Downs, an omnipresence of 20th-century American television who once held the record for most hours logged on-air, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. On July 1, 2020 at the age of 99, Downs died from heart failure at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hugh Downs is known for his legendary time as a broadcaster, but his family was a massive part of his life. He also did a great deal of reporting, particularly in the early years, on medical breakthroughs and did adventure news segments. Downs was predeceased by his wife Ruth Shaheen, who died in 2017. By that point, his reputation had grown to where he would approve any commercials he was assigned to read in an effort to avoid misinforming the public. He got his start on radio in Detroit and Chicago – “I thought TV wasn’t anything that was going to stay,” he told USA TODAY; “I viewed it as a gimmick, like 3D” – before jumping to the vibrant new medium in 1949, as announcer on the classic kids’ puppet show "Kukla Fran and Ollie.". He was 99. Hugh Downs died from heart failure on July 1, 2020, at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. "I hope I'd be remembered as a guy who tried to do some good and who was, most importantly, honest," he said in 2002 during an interview with his former "20/20" co-host Barbara Walters. He was 99. Please join me in taking a moment to remember Hugh Downs, an exceptional broadcaster, and his many contributions to ABC News. He co-anchored NBC’s "Today" show from 1962 to 1971, but is probably most remembered for his 21 years as co-host of ABC evening newsmagazine "20/20" (both alongside Barbara Walters), and his signature sign-off: “We’re in touch, so you be in touch.”, And he stayed in touch, even after his official retirement from "20/20" in 1999, doing voice-over duties for a number of documentary films and specials through the 2000s. … Our hearts are with Hugh’s family and friends tonight. Hugh Downs, the legendary TV broadcaster whose career has spanned more than six decades, died on Wednesday. Broadcasting icon Hugh Downs died on Wednesday at his Scottsdale, Arizona, home at the age of 99, his family confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news in a career that lasted more than 60 years, has died … Legendary broadcaster Hugh Downs, who died on July 2, … While there, Hugh sadly suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 72. A statement from the family said, “And yet, amid all of Hugh’s exceptional life achievements, was his love for his family. Downs passed away after 2 years … Hugh Downs and Ruth Shaheen, who were married when Hugh was 23, spent nearly 75 years together as a vision of love, partnership, and creativity.” Ruth Shaheen Death. A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death and said the cause was a heart ailment. And he hosted PBS’ "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcasts for much of the ’90s. Downs died of natural causes … NEW YORK (AP) — Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television’s most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died at age 99. Hugh Downs Wife. Shaheen died on March 28, 2017, aged 95. He is best known for his time hosting NBC’s Today Show from 1962-1971. "My loyalty was with the person tuning in," he said, according to AP. Hugh Downs, perhaps best remembered for his two-decade run on ABC's 20/20, has passed away at the age of 99. For years, Downs held the Guinness record for most total hours on commercial network television, until Regin Philbin broke his record in 2004, according to the Associated Press. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? ... Hugh Downs. Surrounded by loved ones, he died … Downs became a friendly and familiar face during his thousands of hours on television between the 1950s and 1990s, during which he worked on NBC's "Today" and "Tonight" shows, the game show "Concentration," "20/20," PBS' "Over Easy" and "Live from Lincoln Center," as well as on dozens of commercials. He was 99. According to his death certificate, the 91-year-old passed away after going into cardiac arrest and suffering from respiratory failure. Downs had also written books and worked in radio. With tenures on NBC’s Today … Name of the Day Random Name. (Reuters) - Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died at … Scandal-plagued former Missouri Gov. Hugh Downs has died at the age of 99. On October 13, 2007, Downs was of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was educated at Lima Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio; Bluffton College, a Mennonite school in Bluffton, Ohio; and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, during the period 1938–41.He worked as a radio announcer and program director at WLOK in Lima, Ohio, after his first year of college. "For more than two decades, Hugh told the stories that he wanted to tell," Walters said in 2002. On Friday, June 21, 1985, "20/20" correspondent Geraldo Rivera assembled his crew including Hugh Downs as navigator, and made his maiden voyage sailing his 44 ft. sailboat, "The New Wave" in the famed "Marion Bermuda Yacht Race.". "I can imagine Hugh as the male Auntie Mame, taking his great-grandchild scuba diving, hang gliding -- all of the adventurous things Hugh himself did," she said. Downs began hosting "20/20" in 1978, and was joined six years later by Walters. Downs was a giant on the small screen with his low-key approach that … Hugh Malcolm Downs (born February 14, 1921) is a long-time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer. "Everything from visiting both the North and South Poles to conversing with a gorilla, to swimming with sharks to training for a mission in space.". He is survived by a daughter, Deirdre, and a son Hugh Raymond, known as H.R., two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. McLellan is … Hugh Downs (born Hugh Malcolm Downs) American broadcaster. Downs died of natural causes at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday, his great-niece, Molly Shaheen, told the Associated Press. His first job was as an announcer for a small radio station in Ohio. Downs left the world with his good deeds that he contributed in the field of the entertainment field. ABC Photo Archives The book featured descriptions from 150 people about what living in the U.S. meant to them after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was interred at the Christ Church of the Ascension Memory Garden in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Died: July 1, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA (heart failure) Birth Name: Hugh Malcolm Downs: Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m) Hugh Downs is seen in a space shuttle cockpit on April, 20, 1981. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Hugh Downs spent seven decades in front of the camera and was one of America's most recognizable journalists. A … “Gosh, I’d like to lie on a beach for six weeks,” he told USA TODAY on his retirement. Hugh Downs, whose smooth delivery and warm demeanor led to a seven-decade career in television news and talk, died Wednesday at the age of 99. A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death and said the cause was a heart ailment. Last 6 months Died Before Age 30 People Alive Over 85 Lived to 100 By Field By Sex By Cause of Death Added Recently. Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters are seen here in 1983. He moved into TV shortly afterward and in 1954 joined NBC, where he eventually met Walters, who was working as a writer at the "Today Show" show at the time. When Did Hugh Downs Die? © Bang Showbiz Hugh Downs. He was also the co-host of NBC's Today Show from 1962-71. Downs died on Wednesday in his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a statement from his family. “The Guinness Book of World Records” recognized Downs … He is perhaps best known for his roles as co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from … Hugh Downs, who began appearing on television at the dawn of the medium and gained fame as co-host of 20/20, host of Today and as Jack Paar’s sidekick on the Tonight Show, has died… Downs was married to Ruth Shaheen from 1944 until she died in 2017. Hugh Downs, the omnipresent broadcaster whose career spanned more than half a century, including 20 years on ABC's "20/20," has died at age 99. Who Have You Outlived? He died on July 1, 2020 at his Scottsdale, AZ home at the age of 99, seven months shy of his 100th birthday; the cause of death was a heart ailment. Hugh Downs, the legendary TV broadcaster whose career has spanned more than six decades, died on Wednesday. He was 99. Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died at … Here are some interesting things about Ruth, whom Downs was married to for 73 years. “The Guinness Book of World Records” recognized Downs as having logged more hours in front of the camera than any television personality until Regis Philbin passed him in 2004. In 1940 he moved on to WWJ in Detroit. By Bill Trott (Reuters) - Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died … But the common thing was nobody was despairing. MORE: Hugh Downs, genial presence on TV news and game shows, dies, MORE: Hugh Downs Visits With Barbara Walters, MORE: US marks 18th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks, MORE: Faces of some of the more than 120,000 lives lost in US to coronavirus, MORE: Barbara Walters' memorable interviews. "I had the thoughts that Americans reacted in a way that might be interesting to gather the thoughts of some people of some visibility and many walks of life," he told Walters in 2002. "I can't see any greatness that I would be remembered for, but if people think kindly of me, I'll be happy at that.". Americans tend to be on the optimistic side and with justification, I think.". ", Born in Akron, Ohio, Downs' history dates from the medium’s formative years. He was a host on ABC's "20/20" for 20 years. Mr. Downs died July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is survived by their two children, Hugh Raymond and Deirdre Downs, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, according to The New York Times. Downs, an Ohio native, joined NBC in Chicago after he served in the Army and soon became a fixture in American households. Mr. Downs died July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He also referenced former ABC News chief Roone Arledge's assessment that Downs' “warmth, intelligence and his common sense have endeared him to generations of viewers.”, In his own words, Goldston said Downs "will be remembered fondly for his brilliant reporting, kind heart and curious mind. The former “20/20” and ABC News personality and longtime TV presence died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. Hugh Downs married his wife Ruth Shaheen on February 17, 1944. Downs' wife, Ruth Shaheen Downs, whom he married in 1944, died on March 28, 2017, at age 95. 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