The legendary comedian was the first host of NBC's Tonight Show, but that barely scratched the surface of his wide-ranging talents. Allen was a gifted comic writer, musician and songwriter, which earned him the sobriquet "television's man for all seasons." Beginning in the 1950s, generations of TV watchers spotted the sharp-witted Allen with the trademark horn-rimmed glasses and knew they were in for an amusing, intellectually stimulating evening.
Passage: Steve Allen, 78
The legendary comedian was the first host of NBC's Tonight Show, but that barely scratched the surface of his wide-ranging talents. Allen was a gifted comic writer, musician and songwriter, which earned him the sobriquet "television's man for all seasons." Beginning in the 1950s, generations of TV watchers spotted the sharp-witted Allen with the trademark horn-rimmed glasses and knew they were in for an amusing, intellectually stimulating evening.
