10 Things To Know About Kathie Lee Gifford

The perennially perky talk-show personality turns 58 this week—and what a career she’s had. From her earliest days as an entertainer, to her popular program with co-host Hoda Kotb, here are a few memories—and surprises—about Kathie Lee’s life.

She Was Born In Paris

That’s right – the All-American girl was born outside the U.S., but for an All-American reason: Her father was a U.S. Navy officer stationed in France.

Her First Singing Gig Was As A Folkie As a high-school student in Bowie, Maryland, Kathie Lee was in a folk group, Pennsylvania Next Right, that performed at school assemblies. Did she ever sing "Kumbaya"? We like to think so.

The Anita Bryant Connection In the 1970s, Gifford was a secretary/live-in assistant to Anita Bryant, the gospel singer, orange-juice spokeswoman and opponent of gay rights.

She Worked With Country Legends Under her first married name of Kathie Lee Johnson, she starred in "Hee Haw Honeys," a spinoff of the country variety show "Hee Haw." Although the show had top country stars like Loretta Lynn (in photo at left) and Conway Twitty it bombed and was canceled after the 1978-1979 season.

Live With Regis For twelve years, from 1988 to 2000, Kathie Lee shared comfortable morning chit-chat with millions of viewers on "Live With Regis And Kathie Lee." She left to spent more time her family, and in 2001 Kelly Ripa was picked as her successor. With Kelly, the show rose in popularity, but Kathie Lee returned in 2007 to co-host a segment in celebration of the show’s 20th year in syndication.

The Sweatship Crisis In 1996, Kathie Lee faced down a political and personal issue: Her clothing line, sold at Walmart, was allegedly manufactured under sweatshop conditions. After hearing about conditions from labor activists and workers, Gifford spoke on Live and said she didn’t control the management of the factories in Honduras where her clothes were made. But she appeared later with President Clinton to support his administration’s efforts to end sweatshop conditions.

Frank's Infidelity According to Kathie Lee, Frank Gifford was the ultimate sexy husband – and she was never shy in letting the Live audience know about it. So when Frank’s affair with a flight attendant was made public in 1997, it was all the more embarrassing for her. Despite the public scandal, Kathie Lee and Frank are still together and appear to have worked out their conflicts.

Have I Told You About My Kids? While she was on "Live," Kathie Lee never seemed to stop talking about her son Cody and daughter Cassidy – and you either loved or hated her from doing that. These days, Cody plays football for USC, and Cassidy’s an actress. Gifford still talks about them, though: She recently said that Cassidy uses a neti pot to clear her sinuses. Thanks, Mom.

She's Not Competing With Regis And Kelly Although Gifford and Hoda Kotb have hosted the fourth hour of the "Today Show" since 2008, they’re not competing with the morning powerhouse of Live With Regis & Kelly. In many television markets, the cozy BFF show airs the hour after Live.

Well, It Was For A Good Cause One of Gifford’s most notable non-talk-show appearances was on "Celebrity Family Feud," where she and her family and friends competed against a posse from the extremely rough show "Dog, The Bounty Hunter." Gifford won and donated her prize money to charity.

What are your thoughts on Kathie Lee? Do you love her or hate her?