Regis Philbin shares his career journey and encouraging words with Notre Dame students

Regis Philbin—a television and game show host, singer, and author— is one of America’s predominant media personalities and a Notre Dame alumnus from the class of 1953.  On September 18, Notre Dame welcomed Philbin to campus to speak with students interested in the media industry and to share his path to success.

Although Philbin is the recipient of multiple Emmy Awards, as well as the holder of the Guinness World Record for “Most Hours on Camera,” he was not always confident in his ability to pursue a career in the entertainment and arts industry.

Philbin told the Rover, “When I was eight years old I used to listen to Bing Crosby on the radio.  I loved the sounds he made.  And I said gee! I would love to be a singer.  But I never told anybody that because I didn’t have the guts to say that’s what I wanted and so I stayed away from it.”

Unsure of what discipline to pursue, Philbin decided to major in sociology while participating in ROTC.  After graduating from Notre Dame, Philbin entered the Navy and went on to serve overseas in the Korean War.  During his time in the Navy, Philbin continued to be interested in television and the entertainment industry.

Encouraged by an officer in the Navy to pursue to his passion, Philbin left and became a page, also known as a studio assistant, at the Tonight Show in Hollywood.  From there, he worked as an assistant news editor for different shows, and soon became Joey Bishop’s assistant on the Joey Bishop Show.

Joey Bishop was a famous television talk-show host and “Rat Pack” member, along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr.  While Philbin was working for Bishop, Bing Crosby was a guest on the show.  During this time, Philbin was able to fulfill one of his life long dreams: to sing for Crosby.  Four weeks later, Philbin received a telegram from a radio station asking him to sing Crosby songs for one of their shows.

Looking back on his own life, Philbin told the audience, “If you want something, go for it, and don’t be afraid.  Tell everybody that this is what you want.”

 

In particular, he addressed college students, who are trying to become experts in a variety of disciplines.  Philbin encouraged students to persevere through doubts, confusion, and fear of failure by taking advantage of their desires and fulfilling them one step at time.  “Don’t be afraid that it’s not going to work out for you because you’re going to make it happen,” Philbin continued.  “If that’s what you want, go for it, and if it’s not, stay away from it.”

During the question-and-answer session, many students asked Philbin what he found most valuable about his time at Notre Dame.

He responded that he was a fan of the football, the teachers, and the frequent opportunities for prayer on campus.  He found his professors at Notre Dame caring and eager to help their students succeed.

Commenting on prayer, Philbin said, “Go to the grotto.  That’s the place to go.  It helps you feel better and stronger if you do.  It’s amazing.”

Thanks to Philbin’s generosity, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center now houses the state-of-the-art Philbin Studio Theatre.  After being personally thanked for the theatre by a Film, Television, and Theatre student, Philbin said, “I couldn’t wait to be involved in it because I was wishing it had been here for me.”

Sydney DeVoe is sophomore studying political science and television.  She is currently attempting to learn a Bing Crosby song.  If you have any tips or want to hear her sing, contact her at cdevoe@nd.edu.