Johnny Olson, born May 22, 1910 in Windom, Minnesota, began his career in show business at age fourteen when his rendition of “No, No Nora” was broadcast from a homemade radio transmitter. Although these broadcasts were short lived, Johnny continued performing and singing while attending Windom High School. After graduation he worked as an unpaid vocalist at WIBU in Poynette, Wisconsin, where he called himself “The Buttermilk Kid” before getting his first paid broadcasting job at WIBA in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1928, Johnny applied for and got the job of station manager of a new radio station, KGDA, in Mitchell, South Dakota. At age 18 he became the youngest radio station manager in the country. In addition to managing the station, he also hosted several of the station's programs.
After leaving KDGA, Johnny briefly studied pharmacy at the University of Minnesota but left to tour as a singer and manager for Hip Haynes' “The Hip Commanders.” Johnny again returned to radio broadcasting in 1931, this time as chief announcer for WIBA in Madison. Two years later, he signed on as chief announcer for WTMJ in Milwaukee. In statewide popularity polls conducted by the station's parent company, The Journal Company (which also owned the Milwaukee Journal), Johnny was voted best announcer for three consecutive years in the late 1930s. Johnny's broadcasts attracted numerous corporate sponsorship including Oshkosh B'Gosh, Piggly Wiggly, and Eight Brothers Tobacco Company which sponsored Johnnie Olson and His Eight Brothers Rhythm Rascals. In addition to his radio work, a syndicated newspaper column entitled “Johnny Olson's Jottings” appeared in newspapers around the state.
While at WTMJ, Johnny organized The Rhythm Rascals as a radio program and also as a five-piece jazz band. At a 1938 appearance with the band in Iola, Wisconsin, Johnny met school teacher Penelope (Penny) Powers. Penny, born February 6, 1912, had been performing locally since age five singing and dancing in community productions and talent shows, as well as appearing on local live radio broadcasts. Johnny and Penny married in October of 1939 in Decorah, Iowa. Johnny, now accompanied by his bride, continued touring with “The Rhythm Rascals” eventually ending up in California. By 1941, as “The Rhythm Rascals” were making national radio appearances in Hollywood, Johnny was transcribing the daily Rascals radio show to disc for broadcast in Wisconsin and hosting several shows on a Beverly Hills radio station, KMPC. It was during this time in California that Johnny developed the concept for Rumpus Room, one of his most enduring shows. The Olsons returned to WTMJ-Milwaukee in 1942, bringing Rumpus Room with them. This extremely popular show, with Johnny as the master of ceremonies and Penny as hostess, was an informal program of music and entertainment targeted to teenagers that, at its peak, had audiences of up to 300 people per show. During World War II, the Olsons also lent their talents to helping the war effort through bond drives and, as a result, met a number of celebrated band leaders and singers. Their success in the Midwest convinced the Olsons to try their luck in New York City; they moved there in 1944.
Soon after arriving in New York City, Johnny was offered a contract on ABC (the Blue Network) as an announcer on numerous radio programs including Swingshift Frolic, Meet the Girls, and On Stage Everybody. He also introduced Rumpus Room to a New York audience. Then, in 1944, Johnny and Penny took over the ABC radio show Ladies Be Seated, a daytime program geared toward a female audience, which they hosted for five years. Johnny's success in radio continued and before long he was emceeing twenty half-hour network shows in addition to flying to Chicago every week to host his own television show Fun for the Money. Corporate sponsors of his programs included Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee, Philip Morris (Johnny Olsen's Luncheon Club), Aunt Jemima, and Toni Home Permanents (Ladies Be Seated) among many others. Penny was also involved in the radio business. In addition to her on-air work, Penny worked behind the scenes, pioneering merchandise giveaway deals with corporate sponsors. Penny eventually earned the nickname “Million-dollar Penny” for the amount of cash and merchandise prizes distributed on audience participation shows.
The Olsons' popularity transferred to the new medium of television and a small-screen version of Ladies Be Seated was produced at WRGB in Schenectady. Indicative of audience response, Johnny Olson received the award for “Favorite Man on Daytime Television” in 1949 from the editors of Radio and Television Mirror, while Penny was voted “Favorite Daytime Woman Star” in both 1949 and 1950. While gaining popularity on television, Johnny and Penny continued working in radio. The Johnny Olson Show, featured on Mutual in 1954, brought together the Olsons' popularity with their longtime interest in music, particularly religious songs. Each show closed with Penny singing a hymn. Johnny, collaborating with Len Whitcup and Chet Gierlach, also published a songbook entitled Seventy Favorite Hymns while Penny showcased her singing talents, releasing an album of gospel music. During this time, the Olsons were often featured in newspaper and magazine articles.
By 1956 Johnny was heralded for his unprecedented presence on every television network hosting two shows on ABC, two on CBS, and another on NBC. By 1958, however, Johnny began working off-camera, taking the role of announcer on Play Your Hunch, a show hosted by Merv Griffin. In 1961 Johnny broadened his media presence by playing himself in the film The Sin of Mona Kent. During the early 1960s, Johnny, occasionally accompanied by Penny, became one of the country's best “warm-up” men - making certain that audiences were primed to fully appreciate a headliner's performance. Johnny often combined this role with announcing duties, most notably for Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine (later just The Jackie Gleason Show), filmed in Miami Beach, Florida. He also served as announcer for The Dom DeLuise Show (1968) and numerous game-shows, among them: What's My Line?; To Tell the Truth; I've Got a Secret; and The Match Game. In 1972, Johnny brought these skills to his role as “announcer” in a theatrical production of The Selling of the President.
Johnny Olson is probably most well known as the original announcer for the Bob Barker version of The Price Is Right, which debuted in 1972. Johnny served as announcer (coining the famous phrase, “Come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price Is Right!”) as well as appearing costumed onstage during the program's “Showcase Showdown.” Johnny continued in this role until suffering a stroke while traveling to California from his home in West Virginia. He died October 12, 1985. Penny survived her husband by fifteen years, passing away August 17, 2000, in Fairlea, West Virginia.
Throughout his career Johnny Olson spelled his name various ways, sometimes at the request of a specific sponsor. While in Wisconsin, he was usually billed as John, Johnnie, or Johnny Olson, however upon their move to New York City, both he and Penny changed the spelling of their last name to Olsen, a practice which continued through the 1950s. Eventually they reverted to the former spelling, and Johnny is billed as “Olson” in his later television work.
