Steve Allen Biography

Fast Facts

• Was nominated for a CableACE Award for Best Program Host for "Steve Allen's Music Room" in 1984
• Won a Peabody Personal Award for his PBS series "Meeting of Minds" in 1978
• Won an American Comedy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Comedy in 1987
• Was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 1986
• Quote: "I'm always busy, but always doing things I enjoy․ I rarely occupy myself with things that bug me․ I'm very fortunate in that not many of us are allowed to live for kicks and get paid for it․"
• Composed and wrote lyrics for more than 7,900 songs during his career, including "The Gravy Waltz," "Picnic," and "South Rampart Street Parade․"
• Wrote scholarly articles and books, including a treatise on migratory farm labor called "The Ground is our Table" and a bestselling book on pop culture standards called "Vulgarians at the Gate․"
• Best known as a musician, comedian, and television personality who was the first host of "The Tonight Show․"
• Always had a tape recorder nearby, including in his car and in the bathroom, so that he could record the material that he would later use in his acts and writing
• After he stepped in to host the 32nd annual Emmy Awards Show in 1980 during a SAG-AFTRA strike, he donated his fee for the show to the unions' strike fund