Steve Allen

In 1954 he tied the knot for the second time with actress Jayne Meadows. They had one son. They remained married for more than four decades till his death.

He was involved in a minor car accident in 2000. Since there were no external injuries he had not been worried. However, the shock from the accident caused him to have a massive heart attack and he died. He was 78 years old.

He was the son of Billy and Isabelle Allen. His mother was a successful vaudeville comedian who performed under the name Belle Montrose. He inherited his entertaining skills from his mother.

He enrolled at the Arizona State Teachers College but quit before he finished his studies to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He became an announcer for KFAC in Los Angeles. In 1946 he joined Mutual Broadcasting System and began hosting a comedy show called ‘Smile Time’.

With time he began to experiment with the formats of his shows. He took up a job with CBS Radio to host a music and talk show. Gradually he converted it into a late-night talk show which made him popular. By 1950 his show was one of the most loved radio shows.

In 1949 he saw an advertisement inviting television presenters for professional wrestling. In spite of having little knowledge about the sport, he applied and got the job.

CBS television recognized the young man’s potential and believed that he could be groomed to do better. He was made the host of ‘The Steve Allen Show’ which premiered on Christmas Day, 1950.

He became very popular when he was called to fill in as a guest host for ‘Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts’. He turned a live commercial for tea into a comedy routine by preparing tea and soup and pouring both into a ukulele.

He is most famous for being the first host of the late-night talk show, ‘The Tonight Show’. He is credited with originating the ideas of an opening monologue, celebrity interviews, comedy bits and audience involvement which later on were adopted by several other shows.

‘The Steve Allen Show’ was another one of his highly popular shows. The variety show helped to launch the careers of cast members like Don Knotts, Tom Poston and Bill Dana. Through this show, Allen also encouraged a lot of musicians.