Background

Byron Allen was born on April 22, 1961, in Detroit, Michigan. Allen is the only child of a single mother, Carolyn Folks. His parents split up when Allen was seven years old. He is a notable graduate of Fairfax High School in Hollywood, California.

Bryon Allen's interest in the entertainment industry began at age seven when he and his mother moved from Detroit to Los Angeles. His mother took an internship and later became a publicist at NBC. While accompanying his mother at the studio, Allen witnessed The Tonight Show being hosted by Johnny Carson, TV specials made by Bob Hope, and Sanford and Son being taped by Redd Foxx. Since he was free to roam in the sound stages, he would sneak into The Tonight Show, sit behind the desk of Johnny Carson, and pretend to be the host. At age 12, Allen received praise and encouragement for a script he wrote for Sanford and Son from the show's writers.

Marriage and Children

Byron Allen has been married to Jennifer Lucas since 2007, and they have three children. They have two daughters and a son. Their names are Olivia Rose Allen, Chloe Ava Allen, and Lucas Byron Allen.

Comedy and Hosting

Bryon Allen began performing standup comedy at 14, frequenting amateur clubs such as The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Wayne Cline, a writer on Good Times, saw Allen perform at the Comedy Store and approached him, asking for his number to contact comedian Jimmie Walker. When Walker saw him, he was so impressed that he asked Allen to join his comedy writing team, working with comedians like David Letterman and Jay Leno. Walker paid Allen 25 dollars a joke as a writer.

When Allen was 18 years old, he performed on The Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson, and was the youngest person ever to do so. At age 19, he introduced himself to Al Masini, a TV executive, after seeing Masini pitch Entertainment Tonight at a broadcasting conference. Masini became Allen's mentor, causing Allen to choose a career path in television. He went on to appear on Dinah, Hollywood Squares, and The Merv Griffin Show.

In 1984, he opened for Kenny Rogers at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. In 1988, he made his acting debut in a made for television movie called Case Closed, on which Allen also served as a co-producer and co-writer. When the producers of NBC's Real People saw how relaxed and comfortable Allen's performance style was, they offered him a job as the show's co-host the next day, making him an early entrant in the reality TV genre. While working on Real People, he learned the ins and outs of television production and began conceptualizing his television shows. However, networks were slow to pick up his ideas. While trying to pitch local television stations to acquire his performances, his home went in and out of foreclosure 14 times, and he often struggled to feed himself.