Chuck Barris

Chuck Barris

Charles Hirsch Barris was an American game show creator, producer, and host. He was known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. He wrote an autobiography titled Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into the film of the same name and directed by George Clooney.

About Chuck Barris in brief

Summary Chuck BarrisCharles Hirsch Barris was an American game show creator, producer, and host. He was known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. Barris wrote an autobiography titled Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into the film of the same name and directed by George Clooney. He produced pop music for records and television, and wrote \”Palisades Park,” which was recorded by Freddy Cannon and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The somewhat shy Barris rarely appeared on camera, though he once dashed onto the set of The New Treasure Hunt to throw a pie at emcee Geoff Edwards. The original host of the NBC show was John Barbour, who was misunderstood and considered a straight talent, as opposed to Barris’ parody concept. Barbour dropped Barbour at the last minute in order to save the show, which ran only two seasons on NBC and syndication in the 1970s and 1980s. The show is the longest lasting of any developed by his company, broadcast until 1985, for a total of 19 full years on both network TV and Syndication. Game Show Network airs a current version with Sherri Shepherd. The last was his most successful program other than a game show. It was a variety show staged at military bases akin to USO shows; a CBS revival of Your Hit Parade; and The Bobby Vinton Show, a Canadian-based syndicated variety show for singer Bobby VINTON.

The show ran until 1980 and was twice revived, later in the 1980s and 1990s. Barris became a public figure in 1976 when he produced and served as the host of a talent show spoof The Gong show, which he packaged in partnership with television producer Chris Bearde. He died of a heart attack at the age of 80 in 1998. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their three children. He had a son, Charles Barris Jr., and a daughter, Barbara Barris III, with whom he had two sons, Charles Jr. and Charles III, and a son-in-law, David Barris, who died in 2011. He also had a step-son, David, who is also a television producer and a father-of-two. He has a son and daughter-inlaw, Michael Barris and Jennifer Barris. His great-granddaughter, Jennifer, is a former U.S. Supreme Court justice and a former member of the New York City Board of Education and the New Jersey Supreme Court. His grandson, Michael Jr., is a New Jersey State Supreme Court judge and former New Jersey City Council member. His granddaughters, Jennifer and Jennifer, are also former state Supreme Court justices and former members of New Jersey, New Jersey and New Jersey Legislators, respectively. The son and grandson have three sons, Michael, David and David, Jr., who are both former state legislators and former governors.