- In his six decades of television, Gilbert announced 29 game shows.
- Before he was a successful announcer, he was a nightclub singer.
- Hobbies: singing, golfing and bowling.
- Recorded an album of popular music selections.
- Beat former Barry & Enright contract player, Jay Stewart, as the announcer of the 1984 revival of Jeopardy! (1984), which he's still the announcer of the show.
- When Gilbert took ill for the final two weeks of the short-lived game show, Blackout (1988), Jay Stewart filled in for him. It was Stewart's final announcing duty. Stewart died by suicide the following year.
- Lifelong friend of Wink Martindale. Gilbert met him on the set of Words and Music (1970). He later worked with Martindale on both shows: The New Tic Tac Dough (1978) and Headline Chasers (1985).
- Has announced on over 30 game shows, with his two biggest shows being The Price Is Right (1956) and Jeopardy! (1984).
- After Huntz Hall's death in 1999, Gilbert is the only surviving member of the group, "Dead End Kids," where he joined that group and played throughout the southwestern portion of the United States for 16 weeks. When they played in Norfolk, Gilbert himself even got special billing.
- At age 43, Gilbert moved back to New York City, New York, in 1967, to continue pursuing a career as a television personality. He moved to Los Angeles, California, a couple of years later.
- Was let go from his announcing role on Love Connection (1983), at the end of the sixth season. Producer Eric Leiber found John Cervenka to replace him.
- While Johnny did initially return to announce the PAX aired episodes of Supermarket Sweep (1990), he departed from the show after the first 13 weeks in 2000 because of the residuals the network was paying him. Randy West succeeded Johnny as the show's announcer.
- In 1985, Johnny replaced Jack Clark as the primary announcer on The $25,000 Pyramid (1982) and The $100,000 Pyramid (1985), although he still had to share announcing duties with Bob Hilton and Charlie O'Donnell. Clark left both versions of 'Pyramid' to concentrate on his announcing duties on the NBC Daytime Wheel of Fortune (1975) and the mega-hit Nighttime Syndicated Wheel of Fortune (1983).
- A few years after graduating from high school, Gilbert heard about an audition as regular vocalist for the Dean Hudson Orchestra which was being conducted in Jacksonville, Florida. Unfortunately, Gilbert was confused about the dates and upon his arrival, he learned that the position had already been filled.
- Before he was a successful announcer, Gilbert joined the United States Army's Seventh Army Special Services in Germany, and was cast as the lead in Xanadu: The Marco Polo Musical, an original musical comedy inspired in part by the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan, which chronicled Marco Polo's trip to China.
- He was Dinah Shore's announcer/sidekick for Dinah! (1974), for the last 5 years in the 1970s.
- He sub-announced for either Jack Clark or Charlie O'Donnell on a few episodes of Wheel of Fortune (1983).
- At age 18, Gilbert moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942, pursuing a career in radio and television personality.
- Replaced Rich Jeffries as the fourth announcer of Love Connection (1983), for the sixth season.
- Graduated from Morrison High School (later Warwick High School), in Newport News, Virginia, in 1942.
- Gilbert was associated with Lorimar-Telepictures (before Warner Bros. Television) (working on various game shows): Dream House (1983), $1, 000, 000 Chance of a Lifetime (1986), Perfect Match (1986) and Love Connection (1983).
- He was a choir boy in a church in Newport News, Virginia.
- Best known by the public as the announcer on Dinah! (1974), The $25,000 Pyramid (1982), Jeopardy! (1984) and as the first announcer of Supermarket Sweep (1990).
- Before Robert Conrad became a successful actor, he used to be one of Gilbert's bandleaders.
- He was selected by producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman to replace Don Pardo as the announcer and audience host for the original Bill Cullen-hosted version of The Price Is Right (1956), when it moved from NBC to ABC, at that time Gilbert returned to New York City.
- Before he was a successful game show announcer, he was a singer and emcee on WDSU in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- At age 34, Gilbert moved to New York City, New York, in 1958, to pursue a career in hosting game shows.
- His first announcing assignment was Camouflage (1961).
- While he was still in high school, Gilbert decided to take up a professional singing career and learned from an opera teacher.
- In 2017 Gilbert was honored by the Guinness World Records for having the longest career as a game show announcer for a single show, after 32 years with Jeopardy! (1984).
- Inducted into the "Jeopardy!" Hall of Fame in 2022 (inaugural class).
- Before he was a successful game show announcer, he was a talk show host in Dayton, Ohio, which he stayed for two years until he left Dayton for short notice.
- Friends of: Don Pardo, Jay Stewart, Charlie O'Donnell, Gene Wood, Jack Clark, John Harlan, Bob Hilton, Art James, Jack Narz, Gary Owens, Jack Barry, Mark Goodson, Bill Todman, Bob Stewart, Dinah Shore, Bill Cullen, Bob Eubanks, Alex Trebek, Jim Lange, Chuck Woolery, Bob Goen, Wink Martindale, Geoff Edwards, Dick Clark, David Ruprecht and Betty White.
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