Arthur Godfrey American radio and television host and entertainer Date of Birth: 31.08.1903 Country: USA

Biography of Arthur Godfrey

Arthur Godfrey was an American radio and television host, entertainer, and advertising spokesman. Born on August 31, 1903, in New York City, he quickly rose to fame in the 1950s and became one of the most influential television personalities of the time. However, his reputation was tarnished after he fired singer Julius La Rosa, whom he saw as a competitor, on live television. This incident led to a decline in Godfrey's popularity.

Godfrey was known for his energetic and ubiquitous presence on television in the 1950s, starring in two weekly series and hosting a daily one-and-a-half-hour show. However, by the beginning of the 1960s, his television presence was limited to occasional special episodes. Despite this, Godfrey was renowned as one of the most prominent advertisers of his time, and his name is still associated with numerous advertising campaigns, particularly for Chesterfield cigarettes and Lipton tea. He worked on Chesterfield's ad campaigns for many years and came up with the famous slogan "Buy 'em by the carton." However, he severed ties with the advertiser on live television after doctors convinced him that his lung cancer was linked to smoking. He later actively participated in the anti-smoking movement.

Godfrey's mother, Kathryn Morton Godfrey, came from a wealthy family that disapproved of her marriage to an older Englishman. Arthur Godfrey Sr. worked as a sports journalist and a horse racing expert, but the family's finances suffered with the advent of automobiles. As the eldest of five children, Arthur began working to support his family, even quitting school at the age of 14 to find steady employment. At 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving as a radioman on a destroyer from 1920 to 1924. After his father's death, he returned home to help his mother, who struggled to support four younger children. She played the piano during silent film screenings, made jams and jellies, crocheted blankets, and even sold her own hair. Finding work was extremely difficult for a woman in her position without compromising societal decorum.

From 1927 to 1930, Godfrey served in the Coast Guard in Baltimore, where he received additional training in radio. After passing rigorous qualification exams, he was admitted to the prestigious Radio Materiel School at the Naval Research Laboratory and successfully completed the program. During this time, he participated in a local talent show, which propelled him to enough popularity to host his own weekly program. After leaving the Coast Guard, Godfrey worked as an announcer for a local radio station in Baltimore and later in Washington, D.C., at an NBC-owned radio station until 1934. In the 1930s, he developed a passion for aviation and survived a car accident on his way to flying lessons in 1931. While recovering, he closely listened to the radio and concluded that the announcers on all available stations lacked a genuine connection with their listeners due to excessive formality. He promised himself that when he returned to the airwaves, his style would be characterized by a relaxed and emotionally engaging manner, as if he were speaking directly to the listener in a personal conversation. Utilizing this unconventional broadcasting style for the time, Arthur Godfrey became a regional and then national star, eventually relocating to New York City. One of his programs, "Arthur Godfrey Time," aired on CBS radio until 1972. In 1948, his show "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" was broadcast on both radio and television, followed by his television show, "Arthur Godfrey Time," in 1952. His genuine friendliness, gentle humor, and sharp double entendres captivated thousands of fans, while his rare ability to significantly boost sales of advertised products with witty, non-offensive jokes made him a wealthy man. The studio received bags of fan mail on a regular basis. Godfrey was considered one of the busiest people in the industry, hosting multiple morning, daytime, and evening shows during the height of his career.

In 1959, Godfrey began experiencing excruciating chest pains. Doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer, a diagnosis with a low survival rate. However, Godfrey was fortunate to survive after undergoing surgery to remove one lung and receiving radiation treatment. He returned to the airwaves, much to the delight of his audience. He retired in the 1970s but continued to seek opportunities to showcase his talents, occasionally appearing in films and on television. Arthur Godfrey passed away on March 16, 1987, at the age of 79. He was married twice and had four children from his two marriages.