CHICAGO– Regis Philbin was in the entertainment news big time in 2011, as he retired from his long running talk show, “Live with Regis and Kelly.” The ageless 80-year-old Regis has the world record for most on-air television hours, has written the new book “How I Got This Way,” and was in the Chicago area recently for an appearance.
Regis Philbin’s television career began in the 1950s, but didn’t come into national prominence until serving as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on “The Joey Bishop Show” from 1967 through 1969. After kicking around the local talk show and game show scene through the 1970s, he was paired with Cyndi Garvey for “A.M. Los Angeles” from 1978 to the early 1980s. After Garvey left the show, Kathie Lee Gifford was his next partner, and the newly syndicated “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” became a ratings smash in 1985. Gifford left the show in 2000, and Kelly Ripa was his co-host until his retirement from the show in 2011.
Philbin assured the crowd at his Chicago-area appearance, at the Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville, Illinois, that he is not leaving broadcasting, just moving onto something else. His appearance was sponsored by Anderson’s Bookshop of Naperville.
 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com |
 | By PATRICK McDONALD |
