Chuck Barris, the creator of classic game shows like The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show -- which he also hosted -- died yesterday (Tuesday) of natural causes at his home in Palisades, New York. He was 87.
Barris got his start in television working for NBC and then backstage at American Bandstand where he got to work with Dick Clark. In 1962, he wrote "Palisades Park" which became a hit song for Freddy Cannon. He formed Chuck Barris Productions and began creating game shows starting with The Dating Game. He followed that up with The Newlywed Game. But his greatest exposure came when he put his wacky personality on full display as host of The Gong Show.
In 1984, Barris published his book, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: An Unauthorized Biography, in which he claimed to have been a CIA assassin in the '60s and '70s. The book was made into a 2002 movie directed by George Clooney. The CIA denies that Barris ever worked for the agency in any capacity.
Barris is survived by his third wife Mary Rudolph. (NY Daily News)