William J. Riley Sr. (October 7, 1920[1] – December 15, 2006) was an American entertainer known as "Mr. State Fair" in Iowa.
His father died when he was 18 months old, and Bill and his brother were raised by their mother through the Great Depression.
In 1946, he first held a television broadcast at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.
Many of the talent show participants have gone on to successful careers, such as Simon Estes and Carrie McDowell.
Riley was inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame in 2004.