Lot’s of people know who Gayle King is – why, she’s Oprah’s best friend! That’s who she is! She’s divorced, and has kids, and she’s Oprah’s best friend. What else do you know about her?
Here are some interesting facts about Gayle King.
Gayle King – Her early life
Gayle was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and raised in Bethesda, Maryland.
Her mother, Peggy, was a homemaker, and her father, Scott, an electronics engineer. Gayle was the oldest of the four daughters of Peggy and Scott. Her father was stationed in Ankara, Turkey so the family lived there for several years when Gayle was younger.
Gayle King – College
Gayle graduated from the University of Maryland in 1976, and majored in psychology. While she was at the University of Maryland, she worked at WTOP-TV in Washington, DC and decided to pursue a career in media.
Gayle King – The friendship begins
In 1976, Gayle was employed by Baltimore’s WJZ-TV as a production assistant. She met a relatively unknown news anchor, Oprah Winfrey, who also worked there.
One evening a particularly bad snowstorm had hit Baltimore. Oprah Winfrey suggested that Gayle King stay with her instead of tackling a long, slow, treacherous drive home (King was still living with her parents at the time). They were up for hours, laughing, giggling, talking about everything and gossiping about co-workers. Their lasting friendship had begun.
Gayle King – Gayle and Oprah apart
Gale moved to Kansas City to be a news anchor. In the late 1970s, she and Winfrey recall spending Friday nights talking on the phone long distance, watching the TV show Dallas simultaneously.
Gayle King – Marriage, children, and career
Gayle dated and later married (1982) Bill Bumpus, a local police officer in the Kansas City area. They moved to Hartford, Connecticut when Gayle King was hired to work for a local TV station. Bumpus graduated from nearby Yale University Law School.
Oprah is the Godmother to their two children, who were born in the 1980s. When she had her second child, Winfrey set up a “nanny fund” to hire a nanny for the children. Gayle King and Bill divorced in 1993.
Over time, Gayle has held a variety of professional roles. She has worked in radio, hosted and co-hosted TV shows, worked as a correspondent to major news outlets, and starred as herself in television specials.
Gayle King – A birthday party
While she keeps her birthday very private, Oprah threw a 50th birthday party for Gayle in December, 2004 at a restaurant in Manhattan. The upscale restaurant, Daniel, decorated its ballroom with Gayle King’s favorite things, which included Swarovski crystals, and yellow, Pucci fabric. While guests held Swarovski crystal hearts and made a wish for Gayle’s life, singer BeBe Winans sang a song to King that was written just for her.
Gayle King – Today
Although Gayle’s marriage didn’t last, she has always remained in the Connecticut area to provide a home for her children. King credits her ability to balance her career and home with having the luxury of having a nanny who provides excellent childcare. Gayle’s daugher Kirby, and son, William, are both currently in college.
When she was talking with someone who had written a book on death and grief, King thought of her own mother, Peggy, who died in 1994. Thinking she had told her children, who were then 14 and 13 years old, so much more about her own mother than she actually did. Gayle experienced her very own “A-HA” moment, realizing she had not shared many of the precious memories she had of her own mother.
Today, King is an assistant editor at O magazine, and hosts a show on Oprah & Friends XM Satellite radio. While she still remains single, rumor has it that she is involved with a special someone right now.
Reference:
- Interesting Facts about Dr. Oz: www.associatedcontent.com/article/434424/little_known_interesting_facts_about.html
