Steve Allen

* I was so saddened to hear of Steve Allen’s passing (Nov. 1). As a kid, I would stay up way too late and watch Steve as he invented late-night TV. There was apparently no limit to his creativity, from “Gravy Waltz” to “Meeting of Minds” to funny detective novels and much more. Steve was the hippest of the hip, because he had the intelligence, wit, charm, talent and class that modern celebrities seem to lack.

It was a high point for me to meet Steve at a book-signing a couple of years ago and to talk with him about obscure musical riffs from his old TV show. To echo Louis Nye’s Gordon Hathaway, “Hi-ho, Steverino”!

ROCKY MIDYETT

Covina

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Several years ago Allen was the guest speaker at Southwest Manuscripters in Torrance. We are a group of 200 professional and amateur writers and pay only a $25 speaker fee. Steve waved aside the check, saying he liked to encourage people’s dreams. We will always cherish the memory of his generosity. Steve never had to make a comeback--he was never gone, and never will be.

JEAN DESMOND

Rancho Palos Verdes

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I was saddened when I heard the report that Steve Allen had died. I met Steve in 1991 after a jazz concert in Denver. While he was backstage waiting to perform, he used the five minutes to compose another one of his thousands of songs--”I Love You Because You’ve Heard of Lester Young.” Since I was writing a piece about my “big band memories” for a jazz magazine, I asked Steve if I could use the lyrics and he said “of course.” With all of the various activities he was involved with, when I sent him a copy after it was published, he took the time to write, “I just read through all the articles--at a leisurely pace--and enjoyed every one of your reminisces, which stimulated a good many of my own.”

I’ll be enjoying all of my reminisces of Allen for the rest of my life.

BILL SMITH

Palm Desert

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It’s hard to believe that Allen will no longer be part of the Los Angeles/Hollywood scene. An incredibly diverse talent, he excelled in composing music, writing books, playing the piano, trumpet and other instruments, as well as discovering talent.

I grew up with him as host of “The Tonight Show” and a live TV show from the Hollywood Ranch Market, where he innovated many of the live camera, on-street interviews and joyous comedy sketches that we see as part of late-night TV today. Many more details will fill obituaries, but my memories involve a man who was superbly unique, always decent and, above all, incredibly funny, all this without need for foul language or insult. A man of elegance and class, with high family values who was very serious about a number of social issues, but above all one whose humor was always poised appropriately on the edge of silliness and satire; his dignity and talent were always apparent.

ALLEN BUNDY

Los Alamitos

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I remember with great fondness Allen’s exceptional sense of humor as he played hide and seek with me and several other people from the audience of his L.A. television show a long time ago. He found me hiding in a trash can on a side street. He was a unique and wonderful man.

SUSAN TELLEM

Malibu