Weirdo TV Producer, Game Show Host, Pop Songwriter and Alleged CIA Assassin Chuck Barris Dead at 87

March 22, 2017 Alan Cross 0 Comments

Chuck Barris, creator of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game (and also possibly a paid assassin for the CIA), has died at the age of 87. But there was more to Chuck, too. In 1962, he wrote this hit for Freddy Cannon.

But I’ll always associate Chuck with The Gong Show, a weird talent show that ran in the 70s and 80s. Trivia: The Gong Show featured the first TV appearance of Oingo Boingo, then known as the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Danny Elfman, writer of the theme for The Simpsons and countless movie scores, was part of the band.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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