Comedian Byron Allen was born in Detroit, MI, in 1961. After growing up in California, he began perfecting his stand-up act in the Los Angeles area, garnering a significant following. By 1979, the 18 year old landed a gig as a host on the NBC series Real People, and he quickly became a popular on-air personality. He would consistently appear on talk shows over the coming years, while he continued to be a hit in the realm of stand-up comedy. Allen also stepped behind the camera on several occasions, producing and executive producing a number of projects, including the popular stand-up series Comics Unleashed.