Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, the Woman Who Created Talk TV (Hardcover)

~ Michael Banks (Author), John Baskin (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

She was an up-front, real woman who rose from humble beginnings. Her daily live television show drew millions of viewers. Her mere mention of a product could turn it into a household name.

This may sound like Oprah Winfrey, but it s a description of Ruth Lyons, a pioneering broadcaster whose audience in 1960 equaled that of Winfrey s today. With a mix of sentimentality and caustic commentary she ad-libbed her way through commercials and interviews with Hollywood stars. She ruled a broadcast empire and a famous charity all the while maintaining that she was simply a normal housewife and mother who happened to have a radio show. National magazines labeled her The most influential housewife in America.

Her fame was such that throughout the 1950s and '60s, tens of thousands showed up for her remote broadcasts and other personal appearances. 100,000 people tried to get tickets for a 1957 event in her honor.

Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV, is the first complete biography of this pioneering broadcaster and tough businesswoman. It includes her life story complete with fascinating events that even she didn t want the world to see. Follow Ruth through her days as a child growing up in Columbia Tusculum to her stretch on WLW, up to the death of her daughter. Find out who she was and how she became the hardest working and most philanthropic woman in the business.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Orange Frazer Pr; 1st edition (May 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933197498
• ISBN-13: 978-1933197494
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV, May 26, 2009

By	Pamela N. Webster - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For anyone who remembers Ruth Lyons and her TV show, this book is an excellent read. It is very detailed and factual. It brings back so many memories about so many other people, such as Paul Dixon, Bonnie Lou, Bob Braun, Peter Grant and others.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Memories, November 10, 2009

By	Andrea (Holly Springs, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I worked for Ruth as one of her secretaries from 1963 until I married in 1967. She was one of the great influences in my life with her kindness, compassion, wicked sense of humor and love for all. She was a "Mother" to me, as well as her millions of fans throughout the Tri-State Area. It was a privilege to be a small part of her life.

Andrea

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great autobiography of a wonderful woman!, September 4, 2009

By	Thomas Wilson "Ruth Lyons Fan" (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a well written autobiography of a very intelligent business woman, a grat humanitarian, and a popular entertainer in the tri-state area of Ohio, Indiana, and northern Kentucky in the early days of radio and television until the late 1960's.