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Bob Barker has fascinated me for a long time. Please tell us about him, his life, and his family, so we can know what makes him always so happy.
—V.S., California

Bob Barker, who just turned 80, has hosted The Price Is Right for 32 years. Barker recalls that when he did a show at his college radio station, his wife told him that was what he should do. “She didn’t say I was really good, she simply said that I did it better than I did anything else. And I decided that this is what I would like to do. I found it stimulating, fascinating, exciting, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” says Barker, who has won 15 Emmys during his career. In every show, Barker says he’s looking for contestants who are fun. “You’re always looking for those little nuggets that will make that particular show memorable,” he says. Barker, who relaxes by simultaneously patting his dog, Winston, and scratching his cat, Dulce, recently established the DJ&T Foundation to fund grants, which support low-cost spay/neuter clinics. The foundation is named in memory of his wife, Dorothy Jo, and his mother, Matilda Valandra, who both were animal lovers.

My family and I are big fans of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. Why doesn’t he wear a wedding ring?
—Sara S., Florida

“It’s dangerous,” Irwin says. “Working with wildlife, there’s always the chance of getting any sort of jewelry hooked up. Not only could I put my own life at risk, but also the animals we work to save. Terri and I love each other very much and she totally understands that in my line of work, I simply cannot wear one. Terri, also, for the same reason doesn’t wear any rings.” The couple first met in 1991, when Eugene, Ore., native Terri visited the Australia Zoo and watched Irwin doing a crocodile demonstration. He says that he saw her in the crowd, their eyes met and he forgot all about the croc that was trying to kill him. It was love at first sight and they were engaged four months later. Irwin recalls that on their first date, they went to a restaurant with a seafood buffet. “We both had our plates piled high with crab. While we were talking and eating, I noticed that Terri was absolutely covered in crab. I opened my big mouth and made the comment, ‘Crikey, you’re not ladylike at all!’ Since then, we simply fell in love.” Terri had been working with wild animals herself for many years, tending to wounded animals and then releasing them back into the wild, so joining her new husband in his animal adventures suited her just fine. “Every minute of the day we are working toward saving the world’s wildlife,” Irwin says. “Even our gorgeous little daughter, Bindi (age 5), helps to educate people about the animals at Australia Zoo.” New episodes of Crocodile Hunter just began airing, while another season of Crocodile Diaries starts in March.

Can you tell me how Trace Adkins is doing and list his fan club address?
—Arnie R., South Carolina

“I’m in better health and happier than I’ve been in years,” says the Sarepta, La. (pop. 925), native. His career is going full blast, with his Greatest Hits Collection debuting at No. 1 on the country chart earlier this year and a new album, Comin’ On Strong, hitting the streets this month. “One of the biggest highlights of my career so far was when I became an official member of the Grand Ole Opry,” he says. “I have such a reverence for the Opry as an institution and being a member is a huge honor for me. It was a total validation for me—as if the Country God had reached down and knighted me, so to speak.” Now his biggest challenge is finding the balance between the demands of his flourishing career and spending quality time with his family. Married, with four daughters (two from a previous marriage), Adkins, 41, and his family live in the Nashville, Tenn., area. The Trace Adkins Fan Club address is: P.O. Box 121889, Nashville, TN, 37212-1889. You can also get information about the fan club by e-mailing Fans@TraceAdkins.com.

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