Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 on a farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi to Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. Her parents originally planned to name her Orpah, but the midwife made a mistake on the birth certificate. Up until the age of 6 Oprah lived with her grandmother. After this Oprah went to live with her mother and two half brothers in Milwaukee. Instead of living on a farm she now lived in the ghetto. While Oprah was living with her mother who gave her no supervision, she became out of control. Her mother Vernita could no longer handle her, so she was sent to Nashville to live with her father Vernon and his wife, Zelma.
Her father who was a barber became a city council member and was a strict disciplinarian. He demanded that Oprah add five new words to her vocabulary before she had her dinner each evening. Under these conditions Oprah became an excellent student. At the age of 16 she won an oratorical that guaranteed her a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee. After graduating in 1976, Oprah was offered a job from the ABC affiliate in Baltimore. In 1984, Winfrey and her producer moved to Chicago to liven up an A. M. Chicago Show. In 1985, the show was renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1986, She formed a Production company called Harpo Inc.