Mike Rowe Mike Rowe is the host of Dirty Jobs He is known as the dirtiest man on television Rowe has made a career out of trying jobs that most people don’t want to do By doing this he has brought recognition to the people who do these jobs every day Rowe believes skilled labor is no less important than office work He believes people should be more connected to the trades Trades are jobs that require manual skill These jobs make important things such as plumbing electricity agriculture and transportation possible Rowe didn’t start out as a labor champion His first television job was being a host on a home shopping network Since then he has had a successful career as a voice talent actor and producer Rowe is at ease whether in front of a camera or as a voice-over narrator His humor warmth and easygoing style have won him many fans Dirty Jobs is just as popular and successful as Rowe It has been nominated for four Emmy Awards 4 Getting Gritty with Mike Rowe
Mike Rowe at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2008 5
Early Inspiration Michael Gregory Rowe was born March 18 1962 in Baltimore Maryland He was John and Peggy Rowe’s first child Mike’s parents were both teachers Mike has two younger brothers Phil and Scott The Rowes did not have much money But they taught their children that wealth and material things were not important They said pizza delivery was for children who were not lucky enough to get home-cooked meals And vacations were for people who didn’t have a farm where they could play The Rowe brothers did have a farm to play on They lived next to their grandparents on a farm outside Baltimore Rowe describes his grandfather as a plumber a mechanic a mason and a carpenter Mostly though Mike saw him as a magician His grandfather left the house in the morning and worked all day solving other people’s dirty problems Seeing this Mike grew up with great respect for physical labor And his grandfather eventually became Mike’s inspiration for Dirty Jobs 6 Getting Gritty with Mike Rowe
Growing up in rural career Maryland greatly influenced Mike’s future 7
