Whether he brought fame or infamy to his childhood home, unforgettable memories of “The Gong Show” icon Chuck Barris have reverberated through Bala Cynwyd and Lower Merion High School this week as locals mourn his death at the age of 87.
Barris went on from Montgomery County to become “responsible for an outrageous form of television that led the TV man to dub himself ‘The King of Daytime Television,’” according to a Philly.com report by Nick Vadala.
“Critics, however, were less kind, referring to Barris in his heyday as ‘The King of Schlock’ and ‘The Baron of Bad Taste.’”
Barris hosted famous early game shows like “The Gong Show,” “The Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game.”
Among the moments that stick out in Philly residents’ minds are the appearances of pre-fame Pee-Wee Herman, a serial killer, a real-life Edith and Archie Bunker couple and the infamous popsicle twins.
Read much more about Barris’ training in television and his on-screen exploits on Philly.com here.
