William Lorne "Bill" Nimmo (June 18, 1917 – February 22, 2011) was a television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 and radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 personality during a career that spanned seven decades.

Early life and pre-network career

Nimmo was born in 1917 in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

. He served in the Army during WWII, receiving the Purple Heart

Purple Heart

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...

, Silver Star, and Bronze Star. Following a year of diplomatic service in Paris and a shore stint as a teacher, he returned to Cincinnati in 1947 and took a job as overnight disc jockey at WLW-AM, also working at WLWT-TV as an announcer and host of various shows.

Career on national television

In 1950, Nimmo moved to New York and went to work for network television. He was probably best known for two roles. The first was Bill the Bartender on the Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts

Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts

Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts was a television program that broadcast boxing matches from New York's Madison Square Garden featuring Russ Hodges and Bill Nimmo....

which appeared on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

, in which he appeared live during the commercials to promote the sponsor, Pabst Blue Ribbon

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Pabst Blue Ribbon is a brand of beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now based in Los Angeles. Pabst Blue Ribbon is contract-brewed in six different breweries around the U.S...

 beer. The second, and probably more notable, was as Johnny Carson's

Johnny Carson

John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...

 sidekick on the show Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust? is an American game show which aired from September 30, 1957, to November 15, 1957, at 4:30 PM, Eastern on ABC, and from November 18, 1957, to December 27, 1963 at 3:30 PM, Eastern - which helped garner a significant number of young viewers coming home from school.The series was...

. When Nimmo left the show in 1957, he recommended Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon

Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...

 as his replacement. Nimmo was also briefly a commercial announcer for The Jackie Gleason Show

The Jackie Gleason Show

The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...

in 1952-53 and the host of the game shows Keep It in the Family

Keep It In The Family (game show)

Keep It in the Family is an American television game show hosted by Bill Nimmo and announced by Johnny Olson which ran on ABC from October 12, 1957 to February 8, 1958....

in 1957-1958. and For Love or Money

For Love or Money

-Film and theatre:* For Love or Money, an alternative title for the 1933 film Cash* For Love or Money , a film starring Kirk Douglas* For Love or Money , a 1993 film starring Michael J. Fox...

in 1958. When Carson and McMahon moved to The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

in 1962, Nimmo returned to Who Do You Trust? as announcer-sidekick for new host Woody Woodbury. During this time, Nimmo received the 'Best Announcer' award from The Auctioneers of America.

Career after national television

After a year working on The Regis Philbin Show in Los Angeles, Nimmo returned to Cincinnati for the remainder of his life, where he taught in college and worked for various television and radio stations. Nimmo continued to work until just before his death.

Personal Life

Nimmo was married twice and had three children.

Nimmo died on February 22, 2011. He was preceded in death by both wives: Helen (2008) and Marian (1992), and one son, Doug (1998). He is survived by a son, Geoffrey, a daughter, Jane Lejeune, and six grandchildren. He met Marian when the two co-hosted Be Our Guest on WLWT in 1966.