Fake Obituary Article
Oprah Winfrey, 54, Media Mogul
Oprah Winfrey, 54, television host, producer, actress, and philanthropist, died
yesterday of breast cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
She lived in
Montecito, California.
Ms. Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in rural Kosciusko, Mississippi.
is the first child and only product of Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey.
She
Winfrey
graduated from East Nashville High School in Nashville, Tennessee in 1971.
She then
went to Tennessee State University on a full scholarship.
Ms. Winfrey started out early in the media business after winning the Miss Black
Tennessee Beauty Pageant at age 17 she was offered a position at WVOL a black radio
station in Tennessee where she did the news part-time.
After working at WVOL for three years she was then offered her first television
position at WLAC-TV Nashville becoming the first African-American female anchor and
the youngest of the station.
WJZ-TV Baltimore in 1976.
She then went on to co-anchor the six o’clock news at
In 1978 she started her first television show “People are
talking” where she co-hosted at WJZ-TV Baltimore.
She stayed in Baltimore
co-hosting and reporting the news for six years, and then she was offered a position in
Chicago for a morning show on AM Chicago.
When Winfrey came on board, it was a
failing half-hour show in 1984; in a year she turned the show into a success.
It was so
popular that they changed it to an hour-long show in 1985 and changed the name to the
Oprah Winfrey Show.
In 1986, the Oprah Winfrey show, was syndicated nationally by
1987 the show was receiving daytime Emmy awards.
Ms. Winfrey’s popularity in television received her first acting role in Steven
Spielberg’s adaptation of the book the Color Purple in 1985.
Winfrey played Sofia and
gave a stellar performance; she received an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe
for Best Supporting Actress.
She went on and acted in Native Son, The Women of
Brewster Place, Beloved and other movies.
Winfrey finally graduated college in 1987 after being one credit shy of
graduating.
This was influenced by her father Vernon Winfrey which even after being
successful with her own television show he said she should always have her degree to fall
back on if something ever happened.
Winfrey started her own production company in 1986 Harpo Production, Inc.
which is Oprah spelled backwards.
In 1988, Winfrey became the first woman to
produce and own her own show when, Harpo bought all the ownership and producing for
the Oprah Winfrey Show from Capital Cities/ABC.
Coming from a humbling background and surviving years of sexual abuse
Winfrey has achieved the American dream, working hard and becoming very successful.
When induced to the Academy of Achievement in 1989 Winfrey said, “It doesn’t matter
who you are, where you come from.
The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”
Winfrey has interviewed many celebrities and influential people from all around the
world.
Winfrey’s most successful interview was with Michael Jackson in 1993 making
it the most viewed television interview in history.
Winfrey ventured into the magazine business in 2000 when she started publishing her
magazine O.
In 2003 Winfrey landed a spot on Forbes 400 richest Americans list, listing her as
the first African-American woman billionaire.
On February 6, 2006, Winfrey went back to her roots in radio when she signed a
three-year contact with XM satellite radio to have her own radio channel.
Winfrey did a lot of charity and was very philanthropic. In 2007, Winfrey opened The
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa near Johannesburg.
After airing over 5,000 shows and being on the air for 24 seasons Winfrey retired from
the talk-show business this year.
She then started the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN),
which she started with the Discovery Health Network.
Since her show nationally aired in 1987, Winfrey has been a household favorite.
With her passing she is missed all over the world.
holding vigils since her passing yesterday.
like she lost a family member.
Takiyah Shippe, 28, of Philadelphia feels
“She has been a part of my life for years.
to her and cherished the advice she gave.
compassion for people.
Many take to the streets and are
I looked up
She had so much wisdom, love and
I feel like I lost a close family member with her passing.
This
is definitely is a sad day,” she said.
Winfrey is survived by her parents, long-time boyfriend Stedman Graham,
best-friend Gail King, and a half-sister. A private service will be held this Friday in
Chicago.
Donations may be made to the City of Hope Cancer Center, 1500 East Duarte
Road Duarte, California, 91010.