Businesswoman and Sportscaster. In addition to being a businesswoman and sportscaster, she was crowned Miss Texas in 1970 and went on to become Miss America in 1971. She also served as the First Lady of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983. While touring as Miss America, she appeared on numerous talk shows, including three interviews on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She was noticed by CBS Sports and became a sportscaster in 1974. The next year, she joined the cast of The NFL Today, co-hosting live pregame shows before National Football League games becoming one of the first women to have a nationally prominent role in television sports coverage. She also covered premier sporting events, including the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Super Bowl, and the Rose Bowl. She appeared on other television shows too including co-hosting Candid Camera for several years and leading a television version of "People" magazine. In 1985, CBS had her serve as a permanent anchor for its morning news program. As co-anchor, she interviewed newsmakers including then–First Lady Nancy Reagan. She founded two companies in her business career, the first of which was "Chicken by George" chicken fillets. After two years, she sold the company to Hormel Foods, which agreed to operate it as a separate division. In 1991, she received the "Celebrity Women Business Owner of the Year" from the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2003, she created Phyllis George Beauty, which markets a line of cosmetics and skincare products through television shopping network Home Shopping Network. She also wrote or co-authored five books: three about crafts, one on dieting which was her first book, The I Love America Diet, published in 1982, and her most recent, Never Say Never (2002). She died of complications from leukemia on May 14, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Businesswoman and Sportscaster. In addition to being a businesswoman and sportscaster, she was crowned Miss Texas in 1970 and went on to become Miss America in 1971. She also served as the First Lady of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983. While touring as Miss America, she appeared on numerous talk shows, including three interviews on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She was noticed by CBS Sports and became a sportscaster in 1974. The next year, she joined the cast of The NFL Today, co-hosting live pregame shows before National Football League games becoming one of the first women to have a nationally prominent role in television sports coverage. She also covered premier sporting events, including the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Super Bowl, and the Rose Bowl. She appeared on other television shows too including co-hosting Candid Camera for several years and leading a television version of "People" magazine. In 1985, CBS had her serve as a permanent anchor for its morning news program. As co-anchor, she interviewed newsmakers including then–First Lady Nancy Reagan. She founded two companies in her business career, the first of which was "Chicken by George" chicken fillets. After two years, she sold the company to Hormel Foods, which agreed to operate it as a separate division. In 1991, she received the "Celebrity Women Business Owner of the Year" from the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2003, she created Phyllis George Beauty, which markets a line of cosmetics and skincare products through television shopping network Home Shopping Network. She also wrote or co-authored five books: three about crafts, one on dieting which was her first book, The I Love America Diet, published in 1982, and her most recent, Never Say Never (2002). She died of complications from leukemia on May 14, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Bio by: Glendora
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