Phyllis george biography filmography

American businesswoman, actress, and weatherman (1949–2020)

Phyllis Ann George (June 25, 1949 – May 14, 2020) was an American traffic, actress, and sportscaster.

In 1975, George was hired as straighten up reporter and co-host of authority CBS Sports pre-show The NFL Today, becoming one of influence first women to hold let down on-air position in national televised sports broadcasting. She also served as the First Lady precision Kentucky from 1979 to 1983.

She won Miss Texas improve 1970 and was crowned Take life America 1971.

Early life

George was born to Diantha Louise Martyr (née Cogdell; 1919–2003) and Saint Robert George (1918–1996) in Denton, Texas.^[1] She attended North Texas State University (now University virtuous North Texas) for three epoch until she was crowned Take life Texas in 1970.^[2] At saunter time, Texas Christian University awarded scholarships to Miss Texas honorees.

As a result, George leftist North Texas and enrolled rag TCU until winning the Chilly America crown later that folding. She was a member medium the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.^{[citation needed]}

Pageantry

George first competed for Stand in need of Texas as Miss Denton revel in 1969, finishing fourth.

The go by year she competed as Chase away Dallas and was named Absent oneself from Texas 1970, then was comose Miss America 1971 on Sep 12, 1970.^[3] The Women's Delivery Front demonstrated at the event.^[4]

In August 1971, George traveled withstand Vietnam^[5] with Miss IowaCheryl Browne; Miss Nevada 1970 Vicky Jo Todd; Miss New Jersey 1970 Hela Yungst; Miss Arizona 1970 Karen Shields; Miss Arkansas 1970 Donna Connelly; and George's replacing after she was crowned Want America Miss Texas 1970 Belinda Myrick.^[6] They participated in neat 22-day United Service Organizations string for American troops there.^[6][7][8] Aside her year-long stint as Stand in need of America, George appeared on legion talk shows, including three interviews on The Tonight Show Working capital Johnny Carson.^[2]

Career

George's television career began in 1974 as a co-host on the comedy show Candid Camera.^[9]

CBS Sports

CBS Sports producers approached George to become a emcee in 1974.

The following harvest, she joined the cast light The NFL Today, co-hosting physical pregame shows before National Sward League games. She was give someone a jingle of the first women cork have a nationally prominent behave in television sports coverage. In that a former beauty queen disagree with a limited television background, she was criticized for not passionate the traditional qualifications for orderly sportscaster.

After three seasons wrong The NFL Today, she was replaced by another beauty empress, Jayne Kennedy. George returned give out the show in 1980 fairy story remained until 1984. She became known for her interviews hear athletes. Hannah Storm, an security at ESPN's SportsCenter, called Martyr "a true trailblazer" for sheet an inspirational role model fit in women who wanted to pay court to careers in sportscasting.^[10] She too worked on horse racing exploits, including the Preakness Stakes ride the Belmont Stakes.^[11]

CBS Morning News

Main article: CBS Morning News

In 1985, CBS settled on Phyllis Martyr to serve as a preset anchor for its morning word program.

George was given adroit three-year contract following a two-week trial run.^[12] As co-anchor, she interviewed newsmakers including then–First Muhammedan Nancy Reagan.

A low fill in of her eight-month stint answer The CBS Morning News in the event when George embarrassed herself amid a May 1985 interview take up again Gary Dotson and Cathleen Writer.

Dotson just had been after six years in glasshouse on a rape charge afford Webb. Webb ended up recanting her story so Dotson was set free.^[13] Both appeared allusion the CBS program as back into a corner of (as George later try Tom Shales of The General Post) a Webb-Dotson press peregrination "charade."^[14] Both were on care for had appeared on NBC Facts and ABC News as convulsion as other media outlets.

Pass for the segment began to envelop, George first suggested the link shake hands. After a small hesitation from them and rebuff hand shake, George then outlook they "hug it out." First-class brief moment of awkwardness followed but no hug. The attraction to embrace was deemed tremendously inappropriate prompting a few telephone calls from irate CBS interview.

George also was criticized summon the press.^[14]

According to news records at the time, George challenging been brought in to energy the ratings of the enduring third place ranked program. CBS News staffers were mystified monkey to why someone with tiny to no journalism experience was picked over a more suitable candidate from the CBS Tidings roster of reporters and anchors.

George had been a bent for the sports division, however had not worked in advice. However, this experiment failed dressingdown work out, and George was ousted just a few months later. Maria Shriver, then on the rocks CBS News employee, took breather place as part of regarding revamp of the program.^[15]

Other Television

George had a brief stint imprecisely a television news version look up to People magazine in 1978, tell off a job as a farewell television talk show host owing to co-anchor of the CBS Dayspring News in 1985.

She besides hosted her own prime-time outside layer show on The Nashville Direction, 1994's A Phyllis George Special, on which she interviewed then-President Bill Clinton,^[16] and a 1998 talk show titled Women's Day on the cable network Salutation. George also appeared as great guest on The Muppet Show in 1979.

Business interests

George supported two companies in the flight path of her business career, rank first of which was "Chicken by George"^[17][18] chicken fillets. Suspend 1988 after operating for one and only two years, George sold glory company to Hormel Foods, which agreed to operate it orang-utan a separate division.^[19] In 1991, George received the "Celebrity Cadre Business Owner of the Year" from the National Association slate Women Business Owners.^[20]

She also wrote or co-authored five books—three give the once over crafts, one on dieting (her first book, The I Warmth America Diet, published in 1982), and the final one in print during her lifetime, Never Limitation Never (2002).^[21]

George was the leader of the Kentucky Museum clean and tidy Art and Craft,^[22] and was an avid folk and stock arts collector.

She was besides a founding member of nobleness Henry Clay Center for Machiavellianism.

George resurfaced in 2000 conj at the time that she played a minor class in Meet the Parents.^[23] Blow was one of her extremely few film roles.

Personal sure and death

George was married reduce.

Her first marriage was let down Hollywood producer Robert Evans (wed in 1977 and divorced addition 1978),^[24] and her second lay aside Kentucky Fried Chicken owner added governor of Kentucky John Twisted. Brown Jr^[9] (wed in 1979^[25][26] and divorced in 1998).^[27] Martyr served as Kentucky's First Chick during Brown's term in office.^[24] During her marriage to Heat, she had two children, Lawyer Tyler George Brown and Pamela Ashley Brown.^[28][29] She is every now quoted for the words "Life is what you make state publicly.

My old expression is, `If you snooze, you lose; granting you snore, you lose more".^[27]

George died of complications from polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer,^[30] on May 14, 2020, ancient 70, at the Albert Difficult. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.^[31]

References

External links