i adored richard dawson. my grandma and i used to love watching him on match game and family feud. he was the 70s personified: smooth-talking and cheeky, trimmed sideburns and a botany 500 suit, lit cigarette never far.
he had an interesting life. he left home early and made money (the equivalent of $70k today!) boxing. eventually he became a much-loved panelist on match game, then hosted family feud for a decade.
he was extremely liberal and often involved in local politics. he marched in selma. he publicly spoke out against the war in vietnam.
the story goes that dawson was talking with a very nervous contestant and kissed her cheek for good luck. the next woman then asked him, “do i get a kiss?” and from then on, he kissed them all.
the producers tried to get him to stop the kissing, but he instead asked the audience for their opinion. 700 said stop, and 14,500 said continue.
he ended each show with a small sign-off, including the ASL sign for “i love you”, because the mother of a deaf girl once wrote him and asked if he would.
he carved a little space of