January, 2010
Randy West is a prolific game show announcer, having worked on a number of shows, from Supermarket Sweep to The Price is Right to his current gig, The Newlywed Game on GSN.
West is also a former game show contestant, racking up some impressive wins before becoming a staple of the genre in his own right. Recently he has also become an author, penning the book Johnny Olson: A Voice in Time, an illustrated journey through the life and times of the beloved Price is Right announcer. The book is available to order through West's website, TVRandyWest.com.
Randy West was kind enough to answer a few questions about his career, his book, and his thoughts and experiences in the game show world. Here's what he had to say!
About.com: When you first started out doing voice work and radio, did you have the goal of announcing for game shows in mind, or did that occur as a natural progression?
Randy West: I had no idea where the journey would take me. The idea of ever being the voice of a television show seemed so improbable that it never really occurred to me that I could even fantasize about such a lofty goal. Certainly there are far more meaningful things one can pursue in life, but the impression I developed as a child about the magic of broadcasting was immense.
In my second year of college, when I found myself welcomed behind the microphone at the campus radio station, the only goal was to get a professional, paying radio DJ job. The goals and fantasies became loftier only as I was able to enjoy greater success and gain greater confidence. As you say Carrie, it was a natural progression.
About.com: You've been a contestant yourself - what shows did you appear on, and how did you do?
West: What’s My Line? – Soupy Sales guessed that I was a radio disc jockey on a "Who’s Who?" segment. I received $50 and a star sapphire ring that I still wear each and every day for luck!
Face The Music – The less said about this appearance the better, as I was first player to be eliminated!
Press Your Luck – In a nail-biter of an episode, in a distant second place with only one spin remaining in the game, I landed on a car that was valued at just enough to give me the win! I was on for three days before exceeding CBS’ $25,000 maximum, and left with a grand total of just under $30,000.
All Star Blitz – Another three-day reign with incredible luck that netted approximately $20,000.
Hit Man – In an episode that has made the rounds among tape traders, Jay Wolpert saved me for the 65th and final show thinking I would likely win, and then race through the bonus round. He was only half right!
To Tell The Truth – As an imposter, I drew two of the four votes, all incorrect. We stumped the panel, all claiming to be the owner of a Washington DC tour service that told the tales of dozens of the city’s great scandals through the decades.
Sweethearts – Charles Nelson Reilly hosted this To Tell The Truth-inspired game of couples presenting stories of their relationships hoping to be more believable than the other two couples. I was "Eugene Somebody;" my "wife" and I sold our sordid story very well. We won a few bucks, but the Rice-A-Roni was ruled community property!
I think I appeared on a total of nine broadcast shows, but the memory of the remaining two is clouded by a haze of recollections of my participation in endless run-throughs, presentations and pilots.
About.com: How did you meet Johnny Olson, and how did that relationship grow?
West: As soon as I appeared old enough to pass for meeting the minimum age requirement to be an audience member at NBC, I started going to tapings at 30 Rock. Shortly after being seated on my very first day in a TV studio, out bounced the most fun, friendly, energized person I’d ever seen! He had incredible magnetism and likeability, and within a few minutes of bouncing up and down the aisles he had befriended a few hundred strangers.
Johnny Olson was the original "party animal." He was not only able to bond with so many people of divergent ages, backgrounds and personalities, but he had all these strangers interacting with each other as if it were some big family reunion! The game shows were fun to watch and I was curious about all the technical equipment and the ways the shows were produced, but nothing was more exciting than this guy who seemed to be having the time of his life.
Johnny was thoroughly approachable, and the chance to share a few words with him, one-on-one, about enjoying the show only made me want to return again. After spotting me in subsequent audiences his recognition increased from a simple nod to suggesting to a producer that I appear as a contestant – that’s how I ended up on What’s My Line? Ultimately, Johnny included me in his warm-up act whenever he saw me, allowing me to join him on-stage for a funny bit about my going to get him a cup of water. It was funny stuff, and I loved sharing the spotlight and getting a laugh.
The relationship grew to include years of conversations and letters in which Johnny encouraged me to pursue my budding passion with broadcasting. By the time we met again in California in the 1970s, I was an adult and working in major-market radio. At that point Johnny mentored me on a more serious level using his old scripts as a teaching tool, and we discussed everything from his warm-up technique to the history of radio and TV as he had experienced it in his 50+ year career.
Johnny was amazingly generous with his time and encouragement, and I’ll forever be thankful. He is responsible for any and all of my successes, as I take with me so much of what he taught me every day in the studio.
