A comedian, song writer, television producer, skeptic, playwright, author, disk jockey, game show host, social activist, actor, and all-around Renaissance Man, Allen will probably be best remembered as the creator of the TV talk show.
Allen invented the chat/variety show format in 1953 as the first host of NBC’s Tonight Show (later hosted by Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, and now Jay Leno). As a musician, Allen is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific modern song writer, with more than 4,000 songs published. He wrote 53 books, starred as the lead character in The Benny Goodman Story, and recorded 49 record albums.
This is True author Randy Cassingham was proud to take over Skeptic magazine’s “Dumbth” column, based on Allen’s book of the same name. “Steverino” Allen died October 30 at his son’s home in Encino, Calif., of an apparent heart attack. He was 78.