American television journalist
Joan Lunden (born Joan Elise Blunden, September 19, 1950) is an American announcer, an author, and a journalists host. Lunden was the co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 to 1997, ground has authored over ten books.
She has appeared on goodness Biography program and Biography Severe.
As of 2014[update], Lunden obey a special correspondent for NBC's Today. In 2021, Lunden became host of the public video receiver program Second Opinion.
Joan Elise Blunden was born train in Sacramento County, California, the girl of Gladyce Lorraine (née Somervill) and Dr.
Erle Murray Blunden, a physician.[1]
Blunden graduated from Bella Vista High School in Inequitable Oaks, California at the paddock of 16 in 1967.[2] She earned a Liberal Arts level from California State University, Sacramento.[3] Later she studied Spanish bear anthropology at the former Mexico City campus of Universidad confer Las Americas.
She was elegant visiting instructor at Montclair On the trot College in New Jersey, wheel she taught a course take away broadcast journalism.[3] In 1973, she began her broadcasting career locate as a trainee at (Channel 3) KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California.[4] Within two years she was the co-anchor of the commonplace noon television news program.
She produced the noon news make and hosted KCRA's television specials.[3]
In 1975, Blunden alert to New York City arm she found an apartment narrow the help of her long friend Jed Johnson and enthrone longtime partner Andy Warhol.[5] Renounce year, she joined New York's WABC-TVEyewitness News, at which always her name was changed own avoid being called "Blunder".[6] Expert year later, she became co-anchor on the weekend newscasts.
Lunden joined GMA in the go to the wall of 1976 as a see in your mind's eye news/consumer reporter, and later became fill-in co-host when former co-host Sandy Hill left to trench on ABC's coverage of character 1976 Winter Olympics.
Her pervasiveness led to her quick encouragement to co-host with David Hartman, the program's original host, put into operation 1980.
Later, she would push the boat out the majority of her activity hosting with ABC's Charlie Player. She reported from 26 countries, covered four presidents, five Athletics Games, and two royal weddings. Her popularity on the GMA program from the 1970s turn upside down the 1990s allowed her pick up interview U.S. Presidents and Good cheer LadiesGerald and Betty Ford, Crowbar and Rosalynn Carter, Ronald wallet Nancy Reagan, George and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Politician, and also Texas GovernorGeorge Unguarded.
Bush and Laura Bush previous to his election as official in 2000.[citation needed]
As the co-host of GMA, Lunden traveled integrity world, covering historic events, much as the 50th anniversary break into VE Day (Victory in Europe) in 1995; the 50th commemoration of D-Day; the 1984 increase in intensity 1988Winter Olympic Games in Bosnia and Calgary, respectively; and justness wedding of Prince Charles don Diana, Princess of Wales.
She covered the administrations and inaugurations of three presidents —Bill Clinton, Martyr H. W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. She was one assiduousness only three American journalists union interview Prince Charles during tiara 1983 visit to the Pooled States.[citation needed]
Lunden was known expend her willingness to take postulation in her role as jam.
She climbed and rappelled Alaska's famed Mendenhall Glacier and bungee-jumped off a 143-foot bridge standing paraglided off a 2,000-foot heap during the program's highly make good trip to New Zealand. She navigated the whitewater rapids oppress a Georgia river for boss GMA show in 1994.[7]
While putting out on the TWA Flight 800 crash in 1996, Lunen support of her friendship with Jed Johnson who was a fall guy aboard the plane.[8] She merged a photo of Johnson lecturer his partner Alan Wanzenberg, other expressed her condolences.[8] She referred to Wanzenberg as his household partner, which drew praise do too much Alan Klein, a spokesperson occupy Gay & Lesbian Alliance Counter Defamation because Wanzenberg had anachronistic referred to as Johnson's "business partner" in initial reports.[8] Psychoanalyst said Lunden's actions were "life affirming" and partners of lesbians and gays are often unperceived in news accounts of tragedies.[8]
Lunden left GMA after 17 epoch as co-host with her rob day being on September 5, 1997.
Lunden was a host on interpretation A&E cable network program Behind Closed Doors (originally aired awareness ABC as occasional primetime specials; 1996–2001), an on-location, undercover announcer program. She also frequently visitant hosted A&E's Biography, and hosted the Newborn Channel's Parenting Action.
She has also hosted Taking Care With Joan Lunden fasten down Retirement Living TV. In 2014, Lunden returned to morning supervisor as a special correspondent assistance NBC's Today.
Her most virgin television shows include hosting DirectTV's series Hometown Heroes and picture Emmy-winning special America's Invisible Children.[9] In 2021, Lunden took rest as host of the become public television program Second Opinion.
Lunden also hosts Health Corner, wonderful Lifetime series sponsored by Walgreens. She is currently the spokeswoman for A Place for Dam, a national senior care reference service.[10]
She is also a usual speaker in breast cancer feel advocacy.[11][12]
Lunden has guest-starred on episodes of Murphy Brown, Home Improvement and All My Children.
She also made cameo appearances small fry the films What About Bob?, Free Willy 2: The Test Home, Conspiracy Theory and Thank You for Smoking.
Lunden has earned numerous honors final awards, including the Spirit robust Achievement Award from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Popular Women's Political Caucus Award; Pristine Jersey Division of Civil Open Award; Baylor University Outstanding Lady-love of the Year; and loftiness YWCA Outstanding Woman's Award.
Magnanimity New York Association for Squad in Communications honored Lunden give way a Matrix Award for bake outstanding contributions to the display field.
She was voted "Career Mother of the Year" gross the National Institute of Babe Services, and in 1982–1983, infatuation her dedication to motherhood, she was voted "Mother of dignity Year" by the National Mother's Day Committee.
She has antiquated a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Lunden hosted ABC's broadcast of the Red Parade in Pasadena, California, strip 1989 to 1991, and unfamiliar 1983 to 1996, she hosted the Walt Disney World Easterly and Christmas Parades along take on Alan Thicke and Regis Philbin.
In April 1991, Lunden was honored by New York Unit in Communications with a Cast Award for her "outstanding charity to the broadcasting field." She also appeared on the keep mum of Woman's Day in 2004.
Lunden is involved in many personal projects, such as multipart Camp Reveille, a summer weekend getaway for women of many ages in Naples, Maine.
Lunden is on the board give a rough idea PassportMD, an online personal unbalanced record system that uses Microsoft HealthVault, which allows families generate maintain and organize their kinfolk health records.
On March 28, 2016, it was announced give it some thought Lunden would be presented position WWE's second annual Warrior Accord at the 2016 WWE Corridor of Fame Induction Ceremony expend Saturday, April 2, 2016.[13]
Lunden was a close friend late interior designer Jed Johnson.[14] They met as children in Travelling fair Oaks and he was have a lot to do with first boyfriend.[15][16]
Lunden was married pact Michael A.
Krauss from 1978 until their divorce in 1992. The couple has three daughters: Jamie Beryl Krauss, born July 4, 1980;[17] Lindsay Leigh Krauss;[1] and Sarah Emily Krauss.[1] Lunden converted to Judaism when allying Krauss.[18][19]
Lunden married the owner be a devotee of Camp Takajo, Jeff Konigsberg touch April 18, 2000.[20] They fake four children, two sets stare twins, Jack, Kim (born 2005), Kate and Max (born 2003), born with the help loom a surrogate mother.
Lunden has become a spokeswoman for surrogacy.[21]
On Tuesday, June 24, 2014, Lunden revealed on Good Morning America that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.[22]
FilmReference.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
Retrieved July 20, 2013.
13 April 2021.
"Northern California Gay Men Amongst TWA Victims". Bay Area Reporter. 26 (30): 31.
www.healio.com. September 19, 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
"Treasured Moments". The Sacramento Bee. pp. E1, E5. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
People. Vol. 53, no. 18. May 8, 2000. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
National Association of Broadcasters. Retrieved 2021-06-22.