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Bronx

Regis Philbin: A Bronx boy through and through

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Regis Philbin poses with his lifetime achievement award backstage at the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Kodak theatre in Hollywood, California
Regis Philbin poses with his lifetime achievement award backstage at the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Kodak theatre in Hollywood, California June 20, 2008. REUTERS/Phil McCarten (UNITED STATES)

Regis Philbin, better known as the hardest working man in show business, a man who also holds the world record for most hours on TV passed away at the age of 88 last Friday.

Prior to his prolific personality being put on display as host of ABC’s morning show, “Regis and Kelly” along with the thrilling quiz program “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” in addition to many more broadcast appearances, Philbin started his life as an everyday kid from the Bronx on Tuesday, August 25, 1931.

He grew up in northwest Morris Park by Cruger and Bronxdale Avenues, an intersection that was co-named for the television sensation of the past two centuries.

Philbin was even quoted referencing the Bronx while reminiscing on the start of his career one time.

“You know, I never knew if I had any talent when I started in this business. My first job was being a page at ‘The Tonight Show’. I saw Jack Paar come out one night and sit on the edge of his desk and talk about what he’d done the night before. I thought, ‘I can do that!’ I used to do that on a street corner in the Bronx with all my buddies.”

Before he played tennis and earned a sociology degree from the University of Notre Dame in the early 1950s, his Catholic school tenure began on the Grand Concourse at Cardinal Hayes High School in the south Bronx in the class of ’49.

Philbin had such pride in his alma mater that he covered renovation costs for the Cardinal Hayes auditorium in the late 1990s, a venue now named after the iconic personality, according to Bronx Borough Historian, Lloyd Ultan.

It was also around that time when Philbin was one of the inaugural inductees to the Bronx Walk of Fame in 1997 — his plaque placed right next to Cardinal Hayes on the Grand Concourse at E. 153rd Street.

Philbin even attended the formal unveiling at the Bronx Ball that year, according to the Bronx Tourism Council. 

Locally, his memory was honored by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. as one of the borough’s most notable success stories:

Governor Andrew Cuomo too made note of Philbin’s Bronx roots:

Philbin was also remembered fondly throughout the media world by the many friends he had made in the business:

After Philbin’s passing, his family released a statement expressing gratitude for all the time they had spent together.

“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about,” the statement said. “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”

About the Author

Alex Mitchell

If it’s food, fun, or the New York Yankees then you can count on Alex Mitchell being there! After kicking off his journalism career at the Bronx Times in 2018, Alex has since been amNewYork Metro’s Yankees reporter while also covering food and entertainment. Alex’s work has been featured on CBS Sports, the New York Post, and Bleacher Report among other major outlets.

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