Sonny Fox, popular presenter for “Wonderama”, died at 95.
According to a statement posted on the star’s official website, he died on Sunday of “Covid-Related Pneumonia”.
Fox became a public figure when he took over as host of “Wonderama”, following Bill Britten and Doris Faye in 1959, reports People magazine.
The popular children’s program featured a mash-up of segments of live entertainment, famous guests and cartoons.
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Sonny Fox, a former ‘Wonderama’ host, died of complications from the coronavirus. (Photo by Cindy Ord / FilmMagic)
According to his IMDb profile, he also had short stints as a presenter on “The $ 64,000 Challenge”, “The Price Is Right” and “To Tell the Truth”.
He is also credited as a producer or executive producer on a handful of projects, including the television movie “Mysterious Two”, starring John Forsythe.
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People report that he left his sons Meredith, Dana and Tracy, grandchildren Shaun, Kelley, Corrin, Casey, Melissa, Rachel and Kelly. Another son, Christopher, died in 2014.
During a discussion of the Television Academy Foundation’s “The Interviews” series, Fox recalled how he would keep the young “Wonderama” audience involved.
Sonny Fox also hosted ‘The Price Is Right’ and ‘The $ 64,000 Question’.
“Just to keep them from getting bored between takes, I started talking to them, playing games with them, and then one of the guys said, ‘Why don’t you do it on the air?'”
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Fox continued, “I gradually started to understand what the show was about; the show was about me and the kids and about exploring their minds and seeing where I could take them.”
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That ideology seemed to be the key because after adopting it, Fox said that “the program started to be a huge success. After about a year, I had [the kids’] trust, your loyalty. “