Television Game Show Legend Was Born in Philadelphia, PA.

My brothers and I just loved “The Gong Show,” which ran in syndication from 1976-1980.

Chuck Barris was a comedic genius.

No doubt, the show was zany beyond words, but, that was the whole point.

We especially loved to wait and see if we would be treated by a special appearance of “Gene Gene The Dancing Machine.”

Chuck Barris would cup his ear … like he had just heard something … the special music would launch … the red curtains would open … and, “Gene Gene The Dancing Machine” would appear and perform his dance.

We couldn’t get enough!

“THE GONG SHOW” FUN FACT:

Twelve-year-old Andrea McArdle appeared on an early episode in 1976, right before she won the leading role in the hit Broadway musical Annie.

In “The Gong Show Movie,” made in 1980, Barris revealed how “The Gong Show” tormented him and led to a nervous breakdown.

After leaving ABC, Chuck Barris’ claim to fame was creating both “The Newlywed Game” and “The Dating Game.”

Legendary fame show hosts Bob Eubanks and Jim Lange hosted the two iconic television shows.

Chuck Barris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1929 and he died on March 21, 2017 at the age of 87.

Barris is a graduate of Drexel University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Barris was invested in publishing companies and record labels.

While on the set of “American bandstand,” while he worked for ABC, Barris wrote the song, "Palisades Park."

Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon recorded the song in 1952 and it became a big hit.

The story gets crazy, as Barris authored two autobiographies. In his book “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” Barris claims to have been a ClA hit man during the 1960’s.

SOURCE: http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu