NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Gong Show’ creator Chuck Barris dies

NEW YORK

Chuck Barris, whose game show empire included “The Dating Game,” “The Newlywed Game” and that infamous factory of cheese, “The Gong Show,” has died. He was 87.

Barris died of natural causes Tuesday afternoon at his home in Palisades, N.Y., according to publicist Paul Shefrin, who announced the death on behalf of Barris’ family.

Barris made game show history right off the bat, in 1966, with “The Dating Game,” hosted by Jim Lange. The gimmick: A young female questions three males, hidden from her view, to determine which would be the best date. Sometimes the process was switched, with a male questioning three females. But in all cases, the questions were designed by the show’s writers to elicit sexy answers.

Celebrities and future celebrities who appeared as contestants included Michael Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Martin and a pre-“Charlie’s Angels” Farrah Fawcett, introduced as “an accomplished artist and sculptress” with a dream to open her own gallery.

After the show became a hit on both daytime and nighttime TV, the Barris machine accelerated. New products included “The Newlywed Game,” “The Parent Game,” “The Family Game” and even “The Game Game.”

At one point Barris was supplying the television networks with 27 hours of entertainment a week, mostly in five-days-a-week daytime game shows.

The grinning, curly-haired Barris became a familiar face as creator and host of “The Gong Show,” which aired from 1976 to 1980.

Chuck Berry’s final studio album to be released in June

ST. LOUIS

Chuck Berry’s final studio album will be released June 16.

The album, titled “CHUCK,” was announced in October, five months before the rock pioneer’s death Saturday at age 90.

“CHUCK” is Berry’s first album since 1979’s “Rock It.” Dualtone Records says eight of the 10 new recordings were written by Berry, who worked on the album until 2014.

Dualtone says he continued to oversee production and enlisted his family and a friend to help complete it.

In addition to Berry’s children and grandson, the album features performances by Nathaniel Rateliff and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.

The album includes a track titled “Lady B. Goode,” described as a spiritual sequel to one of Berry’s biggest hits, “Johnny B. Goode.”

Associated Press