Kathie Lee Gifford

Kathie Lee Gifford (born Kathryn Lee Epstein, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author whose career has often reflected her Christian faith. She attended Oral Roberts University and gained early television exposure as a singer on the game show Name That Tune (1977–1978). From 1976 to 1982 she was married to Paul Johnson, a composer and publisher of Christian music. Gifford released her first album, Finders Keepers, in 1978 and has continued to record music with spiritual and uplifting themes.

Gifford is widely known for co-hosting Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee from 1985 to 2000 and the fourth hour of NBC’s Today show from 2008 to 2019. She married sportscaster Frank Gifford in 1986, and they remained married until his death in 2015. In addition to her television work, Gifford has written and produced the short film The God Who Sees, based on a song she co-wrote. Her other recordings include the singles “Love Me to Death,” “He Saw Jesus,” and “Jesus Is His Name,” along with albums such as It’s Christmas Time (1993), The Heart of a Woman (2000), and My Way Home.

Gifford has authored multiple New York Times bestselling books. In 2010 she received a Daytime Emmy Award as part of the Today team. She earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in 2012 for her work in Scandalous, and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.