Biography
Pearl was born in Prineville, Oregon. His first major victory was in the 1953 Amateur Mr Universe contest (in which he beat out a then 23-year-old Sean Connery). He actively competed until his retirement in 1971 after winning the Mr. Universe one last time, over superstars Frank Zane, Reg Park and Sergio Oliva. In all, he won the professional Mr Universe 4 times in an 18 year span, which was unprecedented at the time.
He was the first professional bodybuilder to author bodybuilding training courses/booklets. He is also the first to pose to music, and was especially noted in performing exhibitions doing an entire posing routine of Eugene Sandow (who is known as the man who invented bodybuilding). Ever the showman, along with his lifelong coach Leo Stern, Pearl would wear a fake mustache, leotards, a fig leaf, and a late-19th century backdrop, all for providing the exact effect of the Sandow era. As if that wasn't enough, Pearl was equally as famous for performing his strongman routine, which included tearing of license plates, bending penny spike nails, and blowing up a hot water bottle.
He is the author of the popular exercise book, Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women, which has sold over 350,000 copies in the United States and has been translated into four other languages, including Chinese. His book Keys To The INNER Universe, is still to this day considered to be a "must read" for bodybuilders. It contains 1,500 weight-training exercises and weighs five pounds. It is used extensively by professional athletes, trainers and serious bodybuilders and has sold over 60,000 copies.
Pearl had his own monthly question-and-answer column called "Pearl of the Universe" in the bodybuilding magazine MuscleMag International as well as one in Muscle Builder (later Muscle & Fitness) magazine, entitled "Wisdom of Pearl" in the 1970s & 1980s. In 2003 with coauthor Kim Shott, Pearl published his autobiography, Beyond the Universe: The Bill Pearl Story.
Pearl became a vegetarian at age 39 and is the best-known vegetarian bodybuilder. Bill's diet is lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means he eats eggs and dairy products.
During the 1980s, Pearl served as a mentor, trainer, and training partner to many of the top professionals that were still competing. One such individual was Mr. Olympia, Chris Dickerson.
In 2004, Pearl was awarded the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Lifetime Achievement Award for significantly impacting the world of bodybuilding.
In 2011 Pearl appeared in the documentary Challenging Impossibility (film) describing when he hosted the 2004 strength exhibition by spiritual teacher and peace advocate Sri Chinmoy. The film was an Official Selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.
Pearl is 5' 9" tall. He currently lives in Phoenix, Oregon.
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