Michael Delany Dowd, Jr. - better known as legendary talk show host Mike Douglas - was born on Aug. 11, 1925, and bred in Chicago, Ill., spending the better part of his life as a choirboy. His passion for singing only grew from there. Anecdotes say Douglas entertained patrons at an Irish bar near his home in exchange for loose change. And he made his on-air debut at age 11 on a radio program titled The Irish Hour.

He kept singing through college - he attended Oklahoma City University - and even appeared on radio there. After graduation and a after a tour of duty in the Navy during World War II, Douglas turned his passion into a professional career.

His first job: dinner cruise entertainer. Success on the Lake Erie became success over the airwaves, as Douglas moved into a radio and became a "staff singer" for local Chicago station WMAQ.

Douglas found success as a singer, working in a big band, the Kay Kyser Band (featured on at least two hit songs), and as vocalist for several movie studios. But the work was few and far between. He had to go on the road often and briefly worked as a nightclub singer.

Plus, the big band sound Douglas was so familiar with was quickly going out of style. Rock and roll was making a splash on the radio, and Douglas wasn't ready - nor did he want - to make the transition. Instead, he began studying real estate with the expectation that he'd leave show business altogether.

Then came a call Douglas didn't expect. Back in the Midwest - in Cleveland, Ohio, no less, Douglas had a friend who worked in local television. The friend was willing to hire him to host a local daytime talk show.

Douglas took the gig and moved with his wife from L.A. to Cleveland. And on Dec. 11, 1961, The Mike Douglas Show premiered on what is now WKYC, an NBC affiliate.

The Mike Douglas Show
The first few months were fraught with typical flubs, but the show quickly caught on. Douglas's genial manner and ability to put his guests at ease - as well as cast then in a favorable light - allowed him to attract more popular celebrities and bigger newsmakers whenever they stopped by in Cleveland, including Barbra Streisand, who guest co-hosted for a week, and controversial (at the time) atheist Madalyn Murray.

One big difference between Douglas's show and other similar programs was the cold open. Instead of delivering a witting monologue or a few jokes, Douglas would rely on his singing background to warm up his audience. He'd sing a popular song and then dive into his the interview portion of the program.

Helping him out would be his house band, a local jazz group, and a new co-host each week.

Douglas is also attributed for launching the careers of both Bill Cosby and Jay Leno. And superstar Burt Reynolds called being on the show free and easy, making it a joy to do. Douglas scored his biggest ratings when former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, co-hosted the program for a week.

The show's popularity grew, and in 1967, The Mike Douglas Show won the first Emmy ever given to a talk show. It finally left the air in 1981.

Retirement
After his show was cancelled, Douglas moved into semi-retirement, making occasional appearances on TV or for a special event.

In 1990, Douglas was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After treatment, he was cancer free.

After battling what his widow, Genevieve, called a terrible bought with dehydration, Douglas unexpectedly died on his 81st birthday in 2006.