There are two artists with this name: one from the USA another from the UK. 1. Stephen Valentine Patrick William "Steve" Allen (26 December 1921 – 30 October 2000) was an American television personality, musician, actor, comedian, and writer. Though he got his start in radio, Allen is best-known for his television career. He first gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He graduated to become the first host of The Tonight Show