Bob Edwards biography

Synopsis

Early Life and Career

Author, radio journalist and host Robert Alan Edwards was born on May 16, 1947, in Louisville, Kentucky. Bob Edwards is best known as the host of the long-running public radio news program Morning Edition, a post he held for close to 25 years. He went to the University of Louisville and got his first radio job during his senior year. Edwards later worked for a small station in New Albany, Indiana, spinning records, covering the news and handling any other job that needed to get done.

Drafted in 1969, Edwards served in the U.S. Army in Seoul, Korea, putting his radio experience to good use. He worked on both television and radio news for the American Forces Korea Network. Completing his service, Edwards went on to pursue a master's degree in broadcast journalism at the American University in Washington, D.C. While a student there, he worked for an a.m. news station.

Work with NPR

In 1974, Edwards joined the then-fledging National Public Radio (NPR) as an associate producer and became a co-host of All Things Considered. He was then asked in 1979 to anchor the newly created news show Morning Edition for a few weeks. Those few weeks turned into decades with Edwards interviewing thousands of people during his time with the program. As an interviewer, he proved to be tremendously versatile, able to connect with politicos, rockers and everyday people.

One of the show's most popular segments for a number of years was Edwards' weekly chat with sports announcer Red Barber. The two were supposed to talk sports, but their conversations covered much more ground that that. Barber appeared on the show from 1981 until his death in 1992. Edwards wrote about his friendship with Barber in his 1993 book Fridays with Red.

During his 30 years with NPR, Edwards received numerous awards for his work. Among them were the Edward R. Murrow Award he won in 1984 and the Gabriel Awards he won in 1987 and 1990. Edwards also received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Louisville, in 1985.

Departure from NPR

His tenure at NPR seemed to come to an abrupt halt in 2004. NPR executives announced their decision to find a replacement for Edwards on Morning Edition. Some reports claimed that he was forced out, and thousands of his fans called and wrote letters to protest this change. Edwards briefly remained with NPR as a senior correspondent for a short time, before announcing his departure. He left to host his own program on the XM satellite radio network.

Bob Edwards and his wife Sharon have three children and one grandchild.

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