Bob Newhart

Long live the King of Deadpan! The first-ever biography of one of the most influential comedians in show business whose extraordinary, nearly 65-year run made him an American treasure.Why did Chicago-born accountant George Robert Newhart go into comedy? In his own words, it was because he "e;wasn't a very good accountant."e; A wise move. In 1961, his albumThe Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, recorded the year before at his debut stand-up gig in a small club in Houston, won two Grammy Awards, was a multimillion-copy bestseller, reached number one on theBillboardcharts, saved Warner Bros. Records from extinction, and introduced America to the self-effacing, mild-mannered everyman with a deadpan stammer. His ingenious sketches of his timeless one-sided telephone conversations vaulted Bob Newhart into the big time. He didn't rest on his laurels . . .Newhart sailed through the 1960s and early 1970s with a busy stand-up touring schedule, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning NBC sketch-comedy series, appearances onThe Dean Martin ShowandThe Tonight Showwith both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, among dozens of others, and memorable supporting roles in such movies asHell Is for Heroes,Cold Turkey, andCatch-22.Newhart cemented his iconic status in 1972 with the long-runningThe Bob Newhart Showand would strike back-to-back sitcom gold withNewhartin 1982, which ran for eight seasons on CBS.Though he spent decades in the spotlight, Bob's most satisfying success was that as a devoted family man-four kids, 10 grandchildren, and a marriage to his beloved wife, Ginnie, that lasted 60 years. This first-ever full-length biography takes readers on a journey into Bob's life and career, including his lasting friendship with Don Rickles, his introduction to a new generation of fans opposite Will Ferrell inElf, and his Emmy-winning turn inThe Big Bang Theory. For more than six decades, the laughter and the love for Bob Newhart never faded. This is his story. And what a story, what a legend.