Tom Kennedy

Tom Kennedy was an American television host.

Born James Edward Narz, the Louisville, Kentucky native attended the University of Missouri. While in school, he got a radio job and went on to spend 10 years in the business before moving to Hollywood in 1947. In 1957 he changed his stage name to Tom Kennedy to further distinguish himself from his brother, Jack Narz, also a game show host.

He went on to host various game shows for nearly three decades, with his biggest successes being You Don’t Say! on NBC from 1963 to 1969, Split Second from 1972 to 1975, Name That Tune from 1974 to 1981, and Password Plus from 1980 to 1982. His other hosting credits include The Big Game, Dr. I.Q., It’s Your Bet, Break the Bank, 50 Grand Slam, To Say the Least, Whew!, and Body Language.

Kennedy also hosted a syndicated nighttime version of The Price Is Right from 1985 to 1986, and briefly had his own talk show, The Real Tom Kennedy Show, in 1970.

Beyond hosting, Kennedy also was an actor, appearing on episodes of That Girl, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Cannon, and Hardcastle and McCormick. He had a small role in the 1985 feature film Witness (with Harrison Ford).

Kennedy died October 7, 2020, in Oxnard, California. He was 93.