A man loved by all around him, Richard Dawson left a big hole in everyone’s heart. The “Family Feud” host has had cancer. Richard Dawson has passed away after a long struggle with esophageal cancer.
The tragedy stroke Saturday in Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. His son, Gary, said on a very popular social network that when the time came he “was surrounded by his family”.
Richard Dawson was born on 20 November 1932 in Gosport, Hampshire, England and his birth name is Colin Lionel Emm. His fans are probably familiarized with his nicknames such as Dickie, The Kissing Bandit or Kissyface.
These nicknames were given to him basically due to his habit to kiss his female guests at the show “for luck and for love” as he used to say. Richard Dawson married Diana Dors on April 12, 1959, while in New York for an appearance on "The Steve Allen Plymouth Show". Richard and Diana had two children, sons Mark, born in 1960 and Gary, born in 1962. The couple divorced in 1967, three years after their separation.
He subsequently married one of his Family Feud contestants, Gretchen Johnson, who competed on the show in 1981. Together they had a daughter named Shannon Nicole.
Here is the 1976 promo of Family Feud, and Dawson with his peerless charm.
