JOHN RAITT - INSCRIBED ORIGINAL ART SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: STEVE ALLEN - HFSID 298288

JOHN RAITT and STEVE ALLEN
Original portrait of Allen, drawn by John Raitt, signed by both!
Original Art inscribed and signed: "To John/Best Wishes!/Steve Allen", 5½x8½. Pencil drawing also signed by the artist "Raitt". Breaking into showbiz as a radio disc jockey, the multitalented STEVE ALLEN (1921-2000) learned that inserting humor would draw a lot more attention to himself than merely announcing. In order to supply himself with an endless stream of material, he memorized every joke book and "college humor" magazine that he could get his hands on; the result was his uncanny ability to conjure up precisely the right wisecrack at the right time. Allen received his first network exposure in 1949, and he was also featured in several films, including Down Memory Lane (1949) and I'll Get By (1950). In 1953, Allen was hired to host a local late-night program on New York's WNBC-TV, which later developed into the NBC network's Tonight Show. Allen was also an accomplished composer (he wrote over 7,400 songs, including his signature song This Could Be The Start of Something Big) and piano player, and he filled up his spare time by writing more than 50 books as well as plays and magazine articles. Allen was married to actress Jayne Meadows from 1954 until his death. Both Allen and Meadows were nominated for Emmy Awards for a joint guest appearance on the TV series LA Law, and the couple also appeared together on Allen's memorable PBS miniseries Meeting of Minds. JOHN RAITT began drawing portraits of famous people while attending college in the 1930s. He sent his artwork to each subject with a request that it be autographed and returned to him. Two horizontal folds. Tape affixed at corners. Otherwise, fine condition.