Bill Bonds

William Duane Bonds (February 23, 1932 – December 13, 2014) was an American television news anchor and reporter, best known for his work at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. Bonds became an Action News anchorman beginning in the early 1970s.

Early life and education Bonds was born in Detroit. He served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1955 before graduating from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and English in 1959.

Career

Bonds began his career in 1959, working in radio in Albion, Michigan. ). The segment was unique in that it would often feature national newsmakers interviewed by Bonds via satellite. (A famous incident came in 1991 when Utah Senator Orrin Hatch stormed off set during an especially heated line of questioning by Bonds.)

In 1991, Bonds participated in the nationally televised town hall meeting for Democratic presidential candidates Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongas.

Bonds joined rival WJBK-TV as host of an 11 p.m. talk show Bonds Tonight on WJBK-TV and also anchored newscasts. He returned to WXYZ for several months in 1999 to read editorials, but left to lend his voice to radio and TV commercials, including the Detroit furniture company Gardner-White.

Later life and death Bonds married his wife Joanne in 1962. They had four children before divorcing in 1986.

He died at his home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on December 13, 2014, at age 82, from a heart attack.

Filmography