One of the most creative (and some may contend disturbed) minds from 1960s-1970s television has passed away.

‘Gong Show’ Host Chuck Barris Dies; Game Show Creator Was 87

Not only was he the creator and host of the Gong Show - one of the original “Talent Show” programs that showcased some of the oddest individuals who ever made it to a television screen, but also he created two of the hottest game shows of the 1960s - “The Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game”, both of which survived in one form or another for close to 40 years. What wasn’t known to me was that before his stint as a game show creator, he was a relatively accomplished songwriter, with Freddy Cannon’s “Palisades Park” credited to him.