Soupy Sales

He was born Milton Supman, the youngest of three sons of dry-goods store owners Irving and Sadie Supman in Franklinton, North Carolina. His father was born in Hungary and his mother was born in Baltimore, Maryland, which is where his parents met and lived for some years. He and his older brothers, Marvin (born 1917) and Leonard (born 1918) all had nicknames. Soupy was "Soupman", and his brothers were "Hambone" and "Chickenbone".

According to his autobiography, the name "Soupy Sales" was derived from two things. "Soupy" came from "Soupbone", a nickname he got in his youth which was a mispronunciation of his real last name, Supman; and Sales came from the suggestion of an Ohio television manager who knew of a comic named "Chick Sales". Soupy knew that the man was referring to 1920s comic actor Charles 'Chic' Sale, but did not correct him and accepted the name. Sales also went by the name of "Soupy Hines" for a while, which was a reference to (and a misspelling of) the famous soup company.

Soupy Sales was born on January 8, 1926 in Franklinton, North Carolina, USA as Milton Supman.

Attended and graduated from Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia (1944). He then enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the South Pacific during the latter part of World War II. After the war, he received his Master's degree in Journalism from Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia.

Met his wife, dancer Trudy Carson, while performing on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948).

His first pie to the face came in 1951, when the newly christened Soupy Sales (aka Milton Supman) was hosting a children's show in Cleveland.

After moving to Los Angeles, he eventually became an occasional fill-in host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).

In a 1965 incident that nearly ended his career, Sales jokingly told his young viewers on his syndicated show to "take some of those green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them" from their parents' wallets and send them to him, and he would send them a postcard from Puerto Rico. Several young viewers did send Sales some money, but all were returned. He was suspended from television for two weeks, but the incident made his show "cool" and boosted his ratings when he returned to the air.

Worked with Jim Henson on a number of variety shows. When Henson appeared as a Mystery Guest on What's My Line? (1968), it was Sales who guessed his identity.

Was a popular New York City-area radio personality since the early 1980s.

Joined WNBC-AM as a disc jockey in 1985, a stint best remembered because Sales filled the hours between shock jocks Don Imus and Howard Stern.

He was an actor, known for Black Scorpion (2001), The Innocent and the Damned (2005) and A Dirty Shame (2004). He was married to Trudy Carson and Barbara Fox.

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on January 7, 2009 (the day before his 83rd birthday).