Al Roker biography

Synopsis

Weatherman Al Roker was born August 20, 1954, in Queens, New York. Roker studied communications at college in Oswego, NY, where he got his first shot at weather casting. He reported the weather in Ohio and D.C. before returning to New York in 1983. There, he made his way up the ranks working for various networks, until he eventually landed the job as weatherman for NBC's Today show, in 1996.

Profile

Weatherman and television personality. Born Albert Lincoln Roker on August 20, 1954, in Queens, New York. After graduating from Xavier High School in Manhattan, Roker studied communicatons at State University of New York at Oswego, where he got his first shot at weathercasting. He reported the weather in Ohio and D.C. before returning to New York in 1983. There, Roker gradually made his way up the ranks from backup weatherman to chief meteorologist for various networks, eventually landing the job he is best known for, weatherman for NBC's Today show, in 1996.

In addition to his post at the Today show, the nine-time Emmy winner has produced several programs for PBS, MSNBC and CNBC. He has also recently gained popularity for his Food Network series Roker on the Road. In 2005, he launched Al Roker Productions, Inc., a multimedia production company responsible for the critically acclaimed PBS weather special, Savage Skies, as well as the highly rated travel series Going Places.

In 2002, Roker, a notorious food lover and author of several cookbooks, underwent a much-televised gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, dropping 100 pounds just eight months following the surgery. Roker is married to fellow journalist Deborah Roberts. The couple met in 1990 when Roberts first joined NBC as a reporter. He has two daughters and a son.