Long Before ‘Jeopardy,’ This Was Alex Trebek’s First TV Hosting Job

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the world lost the iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek to cancer, on November 8, 2025, at the age of 80. While most people know that Trebek was the longtime host of the trivia game show, many may not remember his very first gig. In 1963, at just 23 years old, Trebek landed his first TV hosting job on a Canadian show called Music Hop, a fast-paced series that helped introduce a generation of young viewers to rock and pop acts of the day.