Oprah winfrey born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Miss., to Vernita Lee, a housekeeper, and Vernon Winfrey, a soldier. She was actually born Orpah Gail Winfrey, but mispronunciations and misspellings eventually won out and Orpah became Oprah.
Oprah spent her childhood struggling with a strange dichotomy:
academic achievement and a dysfunctional home life. She lived with her
grandmother until she was six, and, in that time, learned to read.
She then moved to Milwaukee with her mother. The two lived together in poverty. Her mother was less supportive of her growing intelligence, and she endured physical abuse by relatives. In the midst of it all, she skipped to grades and was awarded a scholarship at age 13.
She then moved to Milwaukee with her mother. The two lived together in poverty. Her mother was less supportive of her growing intelligence, and she endured physical abuse by relatives. In the midst of it all, she skipped to grades and was awarded a scholarship at age 13.
Soon after, Oprah's mother shipped Oprah off to her
father in Nashville. Vernon made education a priority and pushed Oprah
to succeed. She became an honors student, won a full scholarship to
Tennessee State University, and was crowned Miss Black Tennessee by age
18.
Oprah's First Job:
As soon as she
became a student at Tennessee State, Oprah dived into broadcast media,
working at a nearby Nashville radio station. She soon moved on to
television, becoming the youngest news anchor and first African-American
anchor at Nashville's WTVF.
The Early Years:
Oprah's
first stint as a talk show host came after a move to Baltimore, Md.,
where she joined the news team at WJZ. She was quickly tapped to
co-host the local show People Are Talking. This was her first step to much, much, much larger things.
Becoming a Talk Show Host:
Oprah's
next career step took her from the shores of the Atlantic to the shores
of Lake Michigan. She landed in Chicago, at WLS, taking over the
low-rated morning show AM Chicago. Her style, personality, and
ability to talk to people about real issues sent the little last-place
show into first place in less than 12 months.
In a little over two years – between its debut in January 1984 and September 1986 – Oprah lead the program into national syndication, easily overtaking top-rated Donahue.
In a little over two years – between its debut in January 1984 and September 1986 – Oprah lead the program into national syndication, easily overtaking top-rated Donahue.
Key Moment in Her Career:
How do you pick just one?
There’s entering syndication in 1986 and quickly becoming No. 1 in a profession traditionally dominated by white males. There’s eschewing the "trash TV" format for a kinder, gentler and truly more informative style in the mid-90s, essentially signaling an end to the fad. There's co-founding the successful cable station Oxygen -- and later OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. There's inking a deal that will see Oprah celebrate her 25th season in 2011.
And so much more.
There’s entering syndication in 1986 and quickly becoming No. 1 in a profession traditionally dominated by white males. There’s eschewing the "trash TV" format for a kinder, gentler and truly more informative style in the mid-90s, essentially signaling an end to the fad. There's co-founding the successful cable station Oxygen -- and later OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. There's inking a deal that will see Oprah celebrate her 25th season in 2011.
And so much more.
What Does the Future Hold?:
Oprah
is a producer, publisher, book critic, actress, and international
celebrity. She is, perhaps, a living media brand - one that seems to
turn to gold whatever it is she deems worthy to touch. It's hard to
imagine that her career could grow much larger than it is. But with
fans petitioning to nominate her for a Nobel Peace Prize – well, the
sky's the limit.
On top of it all, Oprah remains a down-to-earth and easy to talk to woman. And, truly, that's what has made her a success.
On top of it all, Oprah remains a down-to-earth and easy to talk to woman. And, truly, that's what has made her a success.
And Just for Fun:
- The name of Oprah's production company, Harpo Productions, is "Oprah" spelled backward.
- Oprah received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple. She would later produce a version of the film on Broadway.
- Oprah publishes two magazines, O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. Fortune magazine named O, The Oprah Magazine the most successful publishing start-up in history.
- Oprah will even launch a signature radio channel on the XM satellite network.
- On her 2004 season premiere, Oprah gave new cars to everyone in her audience.
- Oprah is the voice of Gussy the Goose in the 2006 adaptation of Charlotte’s Web.
- She once dated critic Roger Ebert.
- Winfrey is listed by Forbes International as the world's only African-American billionaire.
- Oprah donates more to charity than any other show business celebrity. Listed as the 235th richest American (in 2005), she was the 32nd most philanthropic.
- Since beginning "Oprah's Book Club," the television-based literary society is so powerful that any book placed on the must-read list becomes an instant best seller. (After it was discovered that author James Frey’s memoir A Million Little Pieces was full of untruths, Oprah chastised the writer on her program, essentially revoking its "Book Club" status. Stung by the experience, she promoted classics for some time afterward.)
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