[originaltext]Her father, Vernon Winfrey, was a barber, and a businessman, and

Her father, Vernon Winfrey, was a barber, and a businessman, and he provided his daughter with the discipline that she so badly needed. Under his influence, she applied herself to study and work. At the age of 19 she got her first broadcasting job on a local radio station. She also enrolled at Tennessee State University to study speech and performing arts. In 1972 she became America’s first African-American news anchor, but it was not until 1978 that she was hired to host a talk show. Within eight years she became well-established, and she moved to Chicago. Her talk show became famous for her willingness to talk honestly about very personal issues — and to reveal aspects of her own personal experience in a very frank and honest way: ordinary people felt that she was sincere, genuine, and they loved her for these qualities. In 1986 the Oprah Winfrey Show became a program that was broadcast nationwide. At this time, she also won the award for Best Supporting Actress in the film The Color Purple, which came out in 1985.
What was Oprah Winfrey’s father?