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Fame & Fortune
Photo credit: Debbie Lefever
Art Linkletter
He never played a slot machine but invested in oil and gas
Celebrity interview

Fame & Fortune: Entertainer Art Linkletter
 

At 94, Art Linkletter just published his 28th book, "How To Make The Rest of Your Life The Best of Your Life."

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The original reality-series TV host, Linkletter had shows on all three networks at one point. "House Party" ran on CBS TV and radio for 25 years, while "People Are Funny" appeared on NBC TV and radio for 19 years. He's won two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.

A philanthropist and investor, Linkletter has been married to his wife, Lois, for 70 years and is the father of five children. For Linkletter, staying young at heart while growing older is purely a matter of attitude. He's of the belief that while you can't control what happens to you, you can control how you view life's happenings. An orphan born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, he was adopted by an elderly preacher and his wife and moved to California at a young age.

His years in the entertainment industry are interwoven with public service. President Ronald Reagan appointed Linkletter Ambassador to Australia; he was also named Commissioner General to the 150th Australian Anniversary Celebration. He has served on presidential commissions to prevent drug abuse, to improve reading and on fitness and physical education.

First published in the early 1960s, Linkletter's books include a set of children's encyclopedias, a collection of children's sayings -- "Kids Say the Darnest Things" -- and "Old Age Is Not For Sissies." His most recent book is co-authored with Mark Victor Hanson, one of the authors of the "Chicken Soup" series of books.

Part of his life philosophy involves throwing himself into a variety of causes and businesses that he's passionate about: from research on Alzheimer's disease to promoting alternative energy sources. His business interests are wide ranging and his investment portfolio puts the usual methods of diversification to shame.

We caught up with Linkletter during a phone conversation from his home in California.

Bankrate: You've just published a new book. What drives you to stay so busy as you come up on your 95th birthday in July?

Art Linkletter: I like to be around people who talk and write and never stop. I came up the hard way -- I was a poor kid and I always worked and have enjoyed it ever since. I haven't needed to work for a while but I still do. I've written 28 books, three of them autobiographies. In my life, I've met a lot of interesting people. Talking to people, writing books and raising money keep me interested in a lot of different ways in life. I've never retired -- I spent the first third of my life as a poor kid, the second third as a radio, TV and movie star and in business. In this last third of my life I am giving back through volunteering -- it's very rewarding.

Next: I'm an alpha type-- I start out volunteering; I end up in charge.
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