Gene Rayburn Net Worth

Gene Rayburn's Quotes

• When asked what his greatest fear was, he replied, "Being caught stealing something cheap."

Interesting Facts about Gene Rayburn

1. Chose the stage name 'Rayburn' by sticking his finger in a phone book.
2. Was of Croatian heritage and spoke Serbo-Croatian.
3. Attended Lindbloom High School in Chicago and Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois
4. His father died when he was still an infant
5. Has a daughter, Lynne Rayburn (born October 5, 1942).
6. Landed his first job as a page for NBC in New York City during the late 1930s
7. Succeeded Dick Van Dyke as Albert Peterson in the Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" when Van Dyke departed in April of 1961.
8. Prior to becoming a game show host, he was a frequent light comedy star performer with the Bucks County Playhouse during the late 1950s and early 1960s. His vehicles included "The Love of Four Colonels" (1957), "Who Was That Lady I Saw You With?" (1959), "Come Blow Your Horn" (1960) and "Under the Yum Yum Tree" (1962).
9. He stated on an episode of Match Game that as a bombardier-navigator during World War II, he got airsick on every mission.
10. Was a liberal Democrat.
11. Even after most game shows moved production to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Rayburn never relocated to California, staying on the East Coast and commuting to Hollywood every 2 weeks to tape 2 weeks worth of episodes over a weekend (10 CBS daytime episodes, 2 nighttime syndication episodes).
12. Knitted socks as a gag for his show Rayburn and Finch. However, he became proficient in needlepoint and turned it into a regular hobby that he enjoyed doing on his many flights between New York and Los Angeles. Mark Goodson presented Gene with a knitting kit as a gift of thanks for making Match Game the number one daytime program on television.
13. Passed away at his daughter Lynne Rayburn's house.
14. Just before his death, he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
15. At age 18, Rayburn moved to New York City, New York, in 1936, to pursue a career as a radio disc jockey and in Broadcasting.
16. Moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1972, and lived there for nearly 28 years.
17. His parents, Milan Rubessa and Mary Hikec Rubessa, were both Croatian immigrants.
18. Ranked #4 on Life's 15 Best Game Show Hosts.
19. While announcing at WGNY in Newburgh, New York, he met model, Helen Ticknor, who he later married in 1940.
20. Before he was a successful game show host, he worked as an announcer at WGNY Radio in Newburgh, New York, where he got paid $25 a week.