Bob Barker's Hair Had A Major Impact On The Price Is Right

In the early days of "The Price is Right," Barker looked a little bit different. Longtime fans may remember that, throughout the 1970s and most of the 1980s, he had dark brownish-red hair. However, what many might not have realized is that this wasn't his true color.

Barker said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, "I was prematurely gray. I began to gray at my temples and I guess it could be that technology at that time was not what it is today, but I didn't look good. It looked like I had no hair at my temples, so they suggested I tint it."

He tinted it for some time, but when his hair started to have a blue tinge to it, he switched to dye. After doing this for several years, Barker took a break from the coloring while on vacation. Upon his return, producers urged him to keep his natural gray because it was a better look for him. Barker claimed that ratings for "The Price is Right" went up when he nixed the dye, and in fact, when Barker made his silver debut in October 1987 (per YouTube), the audience couldn't stop cheering for him. He jokingly asked the crowd, "You like the suit, is that it?" One woman screamed from the back of the studio, "We love your hair!" 

It's clear that Barker's new look was a smash hit, one that would appear on TV screens five days a week for the next 20 years.