I’m not sure when it all started. It could have started with the good advice that my Dad gave to all of us Fields kids about the value of getting an education. It could have started with the parochial school nuns who required us to memorize a particular piece for a yearly poetry/speech competition. It could have been in high school as I was doing the morning announcements over the principal’s P.A. system. It could have been in that cold University of Florida dormitory storage room where we were doing “Pirate Radio”. It could have been while I was doing nightly TV weather forecasts on the 5, 6 & 11. It could have been a lot of things that lead me to my current position in life. But the real reason is… The Price is Right.
Yep, I have watched The Price is Right for 38 years. My family used to have video of me from 1972 standing in front of the TV holding my Mom’s black hairbrush like a microphone saying, “It’s A New Car!” I always loved the happiness of the show, the bright colors, the sirens and bells, the thrill of people winning their dreams. It is escapism from the problems of the real world for 60 minutes, every weekday. It’s what the world needs more of. The prizes where spectacular, the models were hot and Bob was so smooth. It was all very exciting stuff for a young boy growing up outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
I have known all of my life that I wanted to work at The Price is Right. At the age of 18 I made the “pilgrimage” to stage 33 to see the show in person. It is an absolute must for any true fan. During legendary announcer Johnny Olson’s warm-up he asked, “Are there any questions out there?” I stood up in the back row and said, “Yeah Johnny, I have a question. How do I get your job?” Johnny called me up on stage, handed me the microphone and said, “Let’s hear what you got kid. Use my name. Call me down to contestant’s row.” So I took the microphone and belted out, “Johnny Olson, Come On Down… You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!”
Well, the crowd loved it that day but Johnny didn’t seem to like it too much. He grabbed the mic out of my hands and said, “Give me back that microphone kid before Bob Barker hears you back stage. Now go sit down.” And I did sit down. But here I am some 30 years later (and 7 seasons of my own under my belt), standing at that podium every day saying “Come On Down” for a living.
Working at The Price is Right is a life-long dream come true for me. And I would do it for free… but please don’t tell my bosses.
Rich Fields
Oh yeah, who has the BEST job in the world? Well that would be Drew Carey, of course.
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