Who is Chip Bird? Meet the first 'Name That Tune' winner who won $136,000 with his sharp guessing skills
FOX network’s reboot of the vintage musical game show 'Name That Tune' premiered on January 6, 2021. The new version of 'Name That Tune' is being hosted by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson, whom we all know as the longest-serving judge on the reality show, ‘American Idol,’ accompanies her as the bandleader.
If you are aware, the original version of the show was presented by NBC in 1952 which was created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter.
What do participants need to do on the show?
The contestants on FOX’s ‘Name That Tune’ battle it out in an assortment of challenging musical games for cash and prizes. Each episode consists of two standalone half-hour contests, each pitting two players against each other as they race against the clock to test their knowledge of songs, performed by the live band. The first two rounds on the show test the guessing and bidding skills of the contestants. The one who makes the most amount of money in the first two rounds goes on to play the Golden Buzzer round to win prize money of a whopping $100,000.
How did Chip Bird end up winning $100,000?
In the first episode, participants Stevie and Chip were pitted against each other. The latter was definitely the star of the premiere episode as he easily took over the game with his sharp guessing skills. From the very first round, Chip made sure he has the command over the game and voila, the very next moment he was beating his opponent by $2,000. He then pocketed $10,000 in the next round. Unfortunately, he missed another one, setting up a showdown for the $20,000 and the bid of $16,000 for the final song before the final round. Winning the first two rounds, he won $36,000 that landed him in the final round.
Without wasting any time, Chip became the first Golden Medley winner of the reboot show after he guessed the songs ‘Stop in the Name of Love,’ ‘I Want Candy,’ ‘Apologize’ and ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ which made him the very first contestant ever on the show winning a massive $136,000, including the spin-offs of the show set in 25 countries. After winning the big amount, Chip was in tears saying that he felt his father’s spirit with him.
According to the website State General, Chip Bird lives in Melbourne, Australia, grew up in Frankfort, attended Capital Day School and graduated from Franklin County High School in 2012. Speaking in an interview, he said, “I love Frankfort! I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t grown up there. Frankfort is home to me and I think about it every day.” Chip is the son of Gina Tate, owner of Frankfort Junior Cotillion, and the late Rob Bird, of Louisville, who owned an insurance adjustment company before passing away in 2011. He revealed that his love of music was passed down from his father. “One of the ways in which I keep his memory alive through me is by listening to music as loud as I can as much as I can,” he said, adding that he believes his father was watching over him during his experience on ‘Name That Tune.’”
