George Michael (sportscaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Michael
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Michael in 2009
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George Michael Gimpel
March 24, 1939 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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| Died | December 24, 2009 (aged 70) Washington, D.C., United States
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| Occupation | Disc jockey, sportscaster |
| Years active | 1959–2008 |
George Michael (March 24, 1939 – December 24, 2009) was a famous American broadcaster. He was best known for his TV show, The George Michael Sports Machine. This show shared exciting sports highlights. It started in Washington, D.C., in 1980. Later, it was shown all over the country by NBC. George Michael even won a Sports Emmy in 1985 for his great work on the show.
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Early Life and Radio Career
George Michael was born George Michael Gimpel in St. Louis, Missouri. This was on March 24, 1939. He grew up in the city's south side. He went to St. Louis University High School. While at Saint Louis University, he promoted music for record companies. These included Scepter and Motown.
He started his radio career at WIL in St. Louis. He hosted a one-hour show on Sunday nights. He soon earned a full-time job as a disc jockey there.
His first radio job outside St. Louis was in 1962. He worked at WRIT in Milwaukee. Later, in 1964, he moved to KBTR in Denver. There, he started using the name "King" George Michael. He earned this nickname because he was so successful in evening radio.
In 1966, he became one of the first "Boss Jocks" at WFIL in Philadelphia. This station started a new Top 40 rock and roll music format. George Michael was the music director and evening DJ for eight years. WFIL became the most popular station in Philadelphia. George was the first rock and roll DJ in Philadelphia to share local high school football and basketball scores on the air. He also helped start the career of Howard Eskin. Eskin later worked on The George Michael Sports Machine.
On his last WFIL show in 1974, George played "When Will I See You Again". This song by the Three Degrees became a huge international hit. George was friends with the owners of Philadelphia International Records.
Michael then moved to WABC in New York City in 1974. This was the nation's largest media market. He also worked for WABC-TV. He was the weekend sports anchor there. He also commented on New York Islanders hockey games. He sometimes filled in for Howard Cosell on a national sports show.
Television Career and The Sports Machine
From 1980 to 2007, George Michael was the main sports anchor at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. He was very popular in the Washington area. He had a lot of freedom with his shows. He included unique segments like "Tuesday Replays" and "Wednesday Wrestling".
He also gave a lot of attention to NASCAR. He interviewed famous drivers like Dale Earnhardt before the sport became so big. George Michael loved horses. He also covered bull riding and rodeo. He was a play-by-play announcer for many Professional Bull Riders events on NBC. He even covered the story of bull rider Lane Frost. Frost was killed at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1989. Michael was put into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2006.
George Michael's friendly personality helped him get rare interviews. He spoke with many famous local and national sports stars. For example, his team at WRC-TV was the only local sports team allowed to broadcast from inside the Washington Redskins' FedExField.
Two movies were inspired by stories on The Sports Machine. These were 8 Seconds and The Rookie. George Michael made a small appearance in 8 Seconds. He also appeared in The Silence of the Lambs and Tin Cup. The Sports Machine was also shown in the movie There's Something About Mary.
In November 2005, Michael was hurt in a horseback riding accident. He broke several ribs and hurt his wrists. He returned to work in December 2005.
Later Career
George Michael left his daily sports anchor job at WRC-TV on March 1, 2007. This happened after a disagreement about staff layoffs. The George Michael Sports Machine ended on March 25, 2007. He continued to host weekend sports shows. These included Full Court Press and Redskins Report. He also did interviews at Redskins Park. He stopped working for WRC-TV completely in December 2008 due to budget cuts.
Personal Life
George Michael married his wife, Pat, in 1978. Pat also produced The Sports Machine. They had two daughters, Cindi and Michelle, and a son, Brad.
George Michael passed away on December 24, 2009. He was 70 years old. He died at Sibley Memorial Hospital. He had been diagnosed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia two years before.
