Bob Hope 05.29.1903 - 07.27.2003 (100 years old)

Bob Hope. That name evokes thoughts of USO tours, television specials, Bing Crosby, and golf. Hope was originally born in England to an English father and Welsh mother in 1903. When he was 4-years-old, his father moved the family to Cleveland, OH. Growing up, Hope earned extra money as a busker--singing, dancing, telling jokes--and he was constantly entering amateur contests from dancing to impersonations.All of that hard work served him well.

Vaudeville was Hope's jumping off point for his show business career. He started out dancing with a female partner, then part of a team (that included Siamese twins). Hope first appeared on radio in the early 1930s promoting a movie he was in during the Capitol Radio Hour, where he met Crosby. His first regular series was in 1937, the Woodbury Soap Hour. He starred in mostly radio variety shows on various networks as well as making guest appearances on other radio shows. Hope had a long and successful career in radio, on television, and in the movies. He died in 2003 at 100.

The most honored entertainer in the world, with good reason, Bob Hope raised entertainment from a commercial industry to a service to his nation and all of mankind. Bob's simple but topical humor and the fact that he appreciated his audience as much or more than they appreciated him helped to make him one of the important voices in Old Time Radio. Click here to read more about Bob Hope