Biography
Though television ultimately transformed Regis Philbin into a cultural icon, the native New Yorker had long assumed his singing voice would secure lasting fame. As a youngster he absorbed broadcasts on WNEW along with Bing Crosby’s programs and, later, those of Dean Martin. The first disc he acquired was Crosby’s “Swinging on a Star,” followed immediately by Martin’s “One Foot in Heaven,” and in numerous interviews Philbin credited both performers with shaping his vocal approach.
His initial national exposure came as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on the Rat Packer’s late-night talk show that ran from 1967 to 1969. On that program Philbin realized an ambition by duetting “Pennies from Heaven” with Crosby. Mercury Records heard the performance and offered the host a recording deal; the label released his standards-laden debut, It’s Time for Regis!, in 1968.
Further success arrived through daytime talk and game shows, yet the 1985 pairing with Kathie Lee Gifford elevated his career to new heights. Live with Regis & Kathie Lee quickly dominated daytime television, and when Gifford departed in favor of Kelly Ripa in 2001 the program maintained its audience without interruption. In 1999 Philbin took the helm of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, one of the most successful prime-time game shows in history.
He had performed regularly in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Connecticut throughout the 1990s, occasionally sang on his daytime program, and watched his debut reappear on CD in 1994, yet no new recordings reached his expanding fan base until 2004. That year Hollywood Records issued When You’re Smiling, which contained a fresh rendition of “Pennies from Heaven.” A year afterward came The Regis Philbin Christmas Album, featuring Steve Tyrell and Donald Trump. Big Dot Records released Just You. Just Me., a collection of duets with his wife Joy Senese, in 2009. Regis Philbin died on July 24, 2020, at the age of 88.
His initial national exposure came as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on the Rat Packer’s late-night talk show that ran from 1967 to 1969. On that program Philbin realized an ambition by duetting “Pennies from Heaven” with Crosby. Mercury Records heard the performance and offered the host a recording deal; the label released his standards-laden debut, It’s Time for Regis!, in 1968.
Further success arrived through daytime talk and game shows, yet the 1985 pairing with Kathie Lee Gifford elevated his career to new heights. Live with Regis & Kathie Lee quickly dominated daytime television, and when Gifford departed in favor of Kelly Ripa in 2001 the program maintained its audience without interruption. In 1999 Philbin took the helm of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, one of the most successful prime-time game shows in history.
He had performed regularly in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Connecticut throughout the 1990s, occasionally sang on his daytime program, and watched his debut reappear on CD in 1994, yet no new recordings reached his expanding fan base until 2004. That year Hollywood Records issued When You’re Smiling, which contained a fresh rendition of “Pennies from Heaven.” A year afterward came The Regis Philbin Christmas Album, featuring Steve Tyrell and Donald Trump. Big Dot Records released Just You. Just Me., a collection of duets with his wife Joy Senese, in 2009. Regis Philbin died on July 24, 2020, at the age of 88.
Albums
