Steve Allen
Steve Allen (December 26, 1921 - October 30, 2000) was an American television presenter, musician, actor, comedian and writer.
Allen started his career as a radio presenter, but is best known as the first host of "The Tonight Show" (1954-1957) and "The Steve Allen Show" (1956-1964).
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Zappa's appearance on "The Steve Allen Show"
A young Frank Zappa was a musical guest in "The Steve Allen Show" on 14 March, 1963, where he introduced himself as a man "playing bicycle" and "the composer of the soundtrack to the world's worst movie: The World's Greatest Sinner". Video material of this episode is available on Youtube and the music itself can be heard as "Music For Two Bicycles & Low Budget TV Orchestra" on the bootleg Lumpy Gravy & Elsewhere. and as Cyclophony on Paul Buff Presents The Pal And Original Sound Studio Archives, Vol. 1.
The audio recording of Zappa's TV appearance can be heard on the album The Interview Sessions (2009) .
Later career
On 29 January 1988 Zappa and Steve Allen organized a F.A. legal task force concert fundraiser, directed against Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, under the title: Let's Put Jim and Tammy In Their Place.
Other Steve Allen references
One of Zappa's earliest singles, How's Your Bird? (The Track) was a reference to a catchphrase of Allen.
