Bill Bonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Bonds
Bonds prepares to interview students at Harrison High School in 1985
Born	(1932-02-23)February 23, 1932 Detroit, Michigan
Died	December 13, 2014(2014-12-13) (aged 82) Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Alma mater	University of Detroit
Occupation	Television news anchorman, journalist, commentator

Bill Bonds (born February 23, 1932 – died December 13, 2014) was a famous American television news anchor and reporter. He was best known for his work at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. Bonds became a well-known anchorman for "Action News" starting in the early 1970s. He was known for his strong interviewing style and for being a familiar face in Detroit news for many years.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Bill Bonds was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 23, 1932. He went to the University of Detroit. After college, he started his career as a reporter for a radio station called WKNR-AM, also known as Keener 13. He also worked for other Michigan radio stations like WCAR, WPON, and WQTE.

In 1964, Bonds joined WXYZ, which is a TV station. He started as a part-time announcer and slowly worked his way up to become a news anchor. He helped cover important events, including the 1967 Detroit riots.

Becoming a News Star

In 1968, Bill Bonds moved to Los Angeles to work for KABC-TV. He helped launch their news program called Eyewitness News. This was a new way of presenting news that felt more direct and personal.

He returned to WXYZ-TV in Detroit in 1971. This was when the station was making big improvements to its news department. They launched a new news program called Action News. Just two years later, Action News became the most-watched news show in Detroit. It stayed number one for a very long time, until 2011.

WXYZ-TV used many ideas from other ABC stations for its Eyewitness News format. However, Bill Bonds helped make their approach a bit tougher and more direct. He also worked at WABC-TV in New York from 1975 to 1976 before coming back to Detroit again. Sometimes, he even filled in as an anchor for ABC's national weekend news shows.

Famous Interviews and Talk Shows

During the 1980s and 1990s, Bill Bonds hosted a special interview part of the 5 p.m. news called "Up Front." In this segment, he would ask tough questions to important people in the news. He often had strong debates with Detroit Mayor Coleman Young. Their discussions were very famous in the local area.

What made "Up Front" special was that Bill Bonds often interviewed national newsmakers using satellite technology. This meant he could talk to people from all over the country. For example, in 1991, he interviewed Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Bonds was known for asking tough questions, which sometimes led to guests ending interviews early.

In 1991, Bonds also took part in a nationally televised town hall meeting. This meeting was for Democratic candidates running for president, including Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown, and Paul Tsongas.

Later, Bonds joined a different TV station, WJBK-TV. He hosted an 11 p.m. talk show called Bonds Tonight and also anchored their newscasts. He briefly returned to WXYZ in 1999 to read editorials. After that, he used his voice for radio and TV commercials, including for a furniture company called Gardner-White in Detroit.

Commercials and Radio Work

Bill Bonds became a familiar voice for many radio stations in the Detroit area. He even teamed up with Doris Biscoe, who was another anchor at WXYZ, to advertise Better Made potato chips.

Later Years and Passing

Besides his news career, Bill Bonds also had small acting roles. He played a newscaster in an episode of the TV show It Takes a Thief in 1970. He also appeared as himself in the movies Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and RoboCop (1987).

Bill Bonds passed away at his home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on December 13, 2014. He was 82 years old and died from a heart attack.

Filmography