Chuck Barris, the enigmatic TV personality who created hit shows such asThe Gong Showand wrote several books, includingConfessions of a Dangerous Mind, haspassed awayat the age of 87. His publicistPaul Sherfinconfirmed that he passed from natural causes at his home in Palisades, New York, surrounded by friends and family members. While he may not be a household name to some,Chuck Barris' career had a lasting impact on the entertainment industry.
The Hollywood Reporterreveals that, in lieu of flowers, theBarrisfamily is asking fans send donations in his name to the New York Police Foundation.Charles Hirsch Barriswas born on June 05, 2025, the son of a dentist and a housewife, who graduated from Lower Merion High School and Drexel University, before landing a job in the foundry at U.S. Steel.Chuck Barrisgot his start in the entertainment industry with ABC, with the network hiring him to shadow and follow Dick Clark, to ascertain whether thebeloved entertainerwas involved in the illegal practice of payola. This went on for more than a year, withChuck Barris' notes presented before a House of Representatives sub-committee, which absolvedDick Clarkof any wrong-doing.
At the same time,Chuck Barrishad written the hit song “Palisades Park,” a tribute to the beloved New Jersey amusement park, which was performed byFreddy Baron, and was one of the singer’s biggest hits, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles charts in June 1962. He would later go on to write the theme music for many of the TV shows he created and produced. He spent a brief stint in Los Angeles as ABC’s director of daytime television, before becoming an independent producer. While living off his royalties from “Palisades Park,” thelate writercreated and developed the hit seriesThe Dating Game, which he sold to ABC and debuted in 1965, hosted by San Francisco radio personalityJim Lange. Here’s what the host had to say about this innovative show in a 2002 Los Angeles Times interview.
“WhenThe Dating Gamecame out, women had to wait for a man to call. Having them make the choices [on the show] appealed to the female population, the target demographic.”
Legendary sportscasterAl Michaelswas part ofChuck Barris' staff on the show, with contestants that includes stars such asBurt Reynolds,Michael JacksonandJohn Ritter. In 1966,Chuck BarrisproducedThe Newlywed Game, which also aired on ABC, hosted byBob Eubanks.Chuck Barriswas also a pioneer of first-run syndication, selling his shows to local stations after the network had canceled them, to keep them on the air. He created the companyChuck Barris Productionsin 1968 and would sell his shares toBurt Sugarmanin 1986, in a deal which valued the company at $86 million, an evaluation which now stands at $195 million today. ProducersJon PetersandPeter Guberowned the company for a period of time, before Sony Pictures bought the company, retaining the rights to this day.
While he often came off as aloof, he was in fact a shrewd businessman, although he was not the mostbeloved producerwhen it came to the critics. He createdThe Gong Show, which ran from 1976 to 1980, withChuck Barrishimself hosting the show for a period of time, after original hostJohn Barbourdidn’t work out. He was given nicknames such as “The King of Schlock,” “The Baron of Bad Taste” and “The Ayatollah of Trasherola,” which eventually had an impact on the writer-producer.
He spent two years in seclusion, holed up in a New York City hotel room, where he would eventually write his memoirConfessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was published in 1982 and turned into a movie adaptation in 2003, starringSam Rockwell, written byCharlie Kaufman, and marking the feature directorial debut ofGeorge Clooney. In the book, which was billed as an “unauthorized autobiography,” Chuck Barris claimed that, while he was producing and creating his hit TV shows, he was also moonlighting as a CIA assassin, where he claims to have killed 33 people. The CIA has denied thatChuck Barrishad ever worked for the CIA.Chuck Barrisis preceded in death by his daughterDella, who passed away in 1998 from an overdose of drugs and alcohol. He issurvived byhis wife of 16 years,Mary Clagett.
