George Leslie Gobel (
May 20,
1919 -
February 24,
1991) was an American
comedian, best known as the star of his own weekly NBC television show,
The George Gobel Show, from 1954 to 1960.
Radio
Gobel was born in
Chicago,
Illinois. He graduated from Chicago's Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1937. Initially a country music singer, he appeared on the
National Barn Dance on
WLS radio and, after service in World War II, turned to comedy. During
World War II, Gobel served as a flight instructor on
AT-9 aircraft at
Altus, Oklahoma and later on
B-26 aircraft at
Frederick, Oklahoma.
