The future show-biz gadfly, now 32, was born in Manhattan to Jonathan
Bush, one of George Herbert Walker Bush's younger brothers and a
prominent Wall Street investment manager.
After prepping at St. George's School in Newport, R.I., Billy Bush
found himself rudderless at Colby College in Maine.
"I was really screwed as far as figuring out what I would do with my
life," he says.
"I chose my major with five minutes left [to declare]."
A stint on the campus radio station led to an on-air job at a tiny
oldies station in New Hampshire.
Through a friend of his father's, he upgraded to a classic-rock outlet
in Washington, D.C., though he wasn't too familiar with the songs he
was playing.
"I was definitely faking it," he says.
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/entertainment/gossip/9383716.htm
Thu, Aug. 12, 2004
A Bush cousin finds his TV niche
By David Hiltbrand
Inquirer Staff Writer
Billy Bush has done pretty well on Access Hollywood, NBC's weeknight
show-biz gloss, considering the show was forced to hire him.
"I'd never heard of him," says Rob Silverstein, executive producer of
Access.
"Jay Ireland, the head of the NBC TV stations, told me, 'You're going
to use this guy,' which I wasn't too happy about. I didn't think he
could do the job, and for the first couple of months, I was convinced
I was right."
That was in 2001.
Bush was brought on to cover events in New York for the
California-produced show.
Tonight from Athens, as NBC prepares its Olympics barrage, Bush will
assume the Access anchor chair, alongside Nancy O'Dell.
He'll also contribute features to NBC's late-night Olympics coverage.
Earlier this week, Bush, already in Greece, was in an expansive mood
as he discussed his rapid ascent.
"I'm sitting in a cafe at the base of the Acropolis," he says, the
sound of cutlery and dishes scraping in the background.
"From my table, I can see a small piece of the Parthenon."
Ah, these are good times to be a Bush.
Though he resents being asked about it, the TV personality is a
silver-spoon cousin of the President.
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All this sounds soooooo familiar. Being born on third base in
business is a Bush family tradition.
Harry
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