Allan Carr

An emotional eater, Allan suffered major problems with his 300 plus pound- body. He underwent a gastric bypass surgery wherein the doctors literally stapled 18 inches of his intestines.

Carr died of Liver Cancer in 1999 at his Beverly Hills home, which he developed after his kidney transplant. The immune suppressants which were administered to avoid rejection of the transplanted organ by his body made him vulnerable to the rapidly spreading cancer. A man known to live life king size, Allan died while organizing a grand party for his friends.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on May 27th 1937, he was the only child born to his parents, who divorced when the boy reached his early teens. His father was a furniture dealer who made lots of profits through his business.

Allan studied at the ‘Lake Forest College’ and later went to the ‘Northwestern University’. During his time at the ‘Lake Forest College’, Allan took to his calling and went on to start his own theatre. He rented the Civic Theatre and some of the first productions were the Bette Davis and Gary Merrill starrer ‘The world of Carl Sandburg’, ‘Mary Stuart’ - an acclaimed work which was directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie and Tennessee Williams's play 'Garden District'

He later discontinued his studies to pursue a career in the showbiz industry, which had always fascinated him. He then got his name changed from Allan Solomon to his Allan Carr at around the same time.

The teenager started working at the ‘Chicago Symphony’, lent a hand at his father’s furniture store and also did a stint as a skip tracer in a financial firm, during his teen years.

The showbiz aspirant then took all of his savings and invested a sum of $750 in the ‘Broadway’ show ‘Ziegfeld Follies’, when he was just 18. This show which starred actress Tallulah Bankhead, earned modestly, and was closed before reaching the Broadway.

The showbiz enthusiast next worked for the world-famous adult magazine ‘Playboy’, after being taken under the wings of Hugh Hefner, the publisher of the magazine and a famous business tycoon. Allan helped Hefner with the creation of a television series titled ‘Playboy Penthouse’.

Allan donned the hat of a personal manager in 1966, when he founded the talent management agency ‘Allan Carr Enterprises’. Among the few actors and entertainers in his clientele were Olivia Newton-John, Keir Dullea, Roz Russell, Tony Curtis, Mama Cass Elliott, Marvin Hamlisch, Nancy Walker and ‘Won Ton Ton’, the German Shephard.

This producer was renowned in Hollywood for shaping the career of Ann Margaret, a famous actress and singer of Swedish-American descent. He also produced the 1970 movie ‘C.C. and Company’, featuring her as a fashion journalist.

The 1978 movie ‘Grease’ brought path breaking success to Carr. The movie established his reputation as a film maker in the industry. A highest grosser, the movie earned five ‘Golden Globe’ nominations and went on to win two ‘People’s Choice Awards’.