Bill Bonds
Bill Bonds | |
---|---|
University of Detroit | |
Occupations |
|
Spouse |
Joanne Bonds
(m. 1962; div. 1986) |
Children | 4 |
William Duane Bonds (February 23, 1932 – December 13, 2014)
Early life and education
Bonds was born in Detroit. He served in the
Career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2023) |
Bonds began his career in 1959, working in radio in Albion, Michigan.[2] He later served as a reporter for WKNR-AM, WCAR, WPON and WQTE. Bonds joined WXYZ in 1964 as a part-time booth announcer. He worked his way up to the anchor desk with Barney Morris. He covered the 1967 Detroit riots.
Newscaster
Bonds was transferred by ABC to become anchorman at KABC-TV in Los Angeles in 1968 to help launch its version of Eyewitness News. He returned to WXYZ-TV in 1971 just as the station was beginning a major upgrade of its news department under the Action News banner. Two years later, it became the highest-rated news broadcast in Detroit, a position it held up until 2011.[citation needed]
WXYZ-TV borrowed most of the basic elements of the Eyewitness News format from its fellow ABC
Interviews and talk shows
During the 1980s and 1990s, Bonds hosted an interview segment on the 5 p.m. news called "Up Front" in which he confronted newsmakers with tough questions. One of his frequent targets was longtime
In 1991, Bonds participated in the nationally-televised town hall meeting for Democratic presidential candidates Clinton, Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongas.
Bonds joined rival
Later life and death
Bonds married his wife Joanne in 1962. They had four children before divorcing in 1986.[5]
He died at his home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on December 13, 2014, at age 82, from a heart attack.[6]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | It Takes a Thief | Newscaster | TV series, 1 episode |
1971 | Escape from the Planet of the Apes | TV Newscaster |
References
- ^ Trigoboff, Dan (February 22, 1999). "A Detroit Star Is Reborn" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. p. 81. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ The Detroit Free Press. p. C1.
- ^ "Steve Wilson: Bulldog or bulldozer?". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Bill Bonds confronts Utah Senator Orrin Hatch in 1991 interview". WXYZ-TV. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- The Detroit Free Press. p. 15A.
- ^ Bill Bonds, iconic former Channel 7 Action News anchorman, has died Archived August 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine WXYZ, December 13, 2014