Hugh Downs Dead - Former 'Today' Show Anchor Dies at 99
Hugh Downs has sadly died.
The broadcasting icon passed away on Wednesday (July 1) at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his family confirmed on Thursday (June 2) to NBC News.
Hugh joined NBC in Chicago after serving in the Army, and was a Today show anchor from 1962 to 1971.
“Downs spoke on air during some of the most profound moments in American history, such as the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy,” NBC News reported.
“In the 1950s and 1960s, Downs had a hand in some of the programs that have transformed NBC and worked to shape the network’s history. In 1957 he helped establish The Tonight Show franchise by joining the show as Jack Parr‘s announcer and sidekick, the same franchise now hosted by Jimmy Fallon more than 60 years later.”
He also hosted a NBC game show called Concentration from 1958 to 1969.
Our thoughts are with Hugh‘s loved ones at this difficult time.