Alan Colmes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Colmes
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Colmes in 2014
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| Born |
Alan Samuel Colmes
September 24, 1950 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | February 23, 2017 (aged 66) New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Hofstra University |
| Occupation | Television and radio host, political commentator, writer, blogger |
| Employer | Fox News Channel |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Jocelyn Elise Crowley
(m. 2003) |
Alan Samuel Colmes (September 24, 1950 – February 23, 2017) was an American radio and TV host. He was known for sharing his liberal political views on the Fox News Channel. Colmes hosted The Alan Colmes Show on radio across the United States.
From 1996 to 2009, Colmes was the co-host of Hannity & Colmes. This was a nightly political debate show on Fox News Channel. He also wrote for his blog, Liberaland, and contributed to AOL News. Colmes wrote two books: Red, White & Liberal (2003) and Thank the Liberals for Saving America (2012).
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Early Life and Education
Alan Colmes was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up on Long Island in Lynbrook, New York. He went to public schools there.
In 1971, he graduated from Hofstra University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. While at Hofstra, he worked at the university's radio station, WVHC. This station later became WRHU.
What Was Alan Colmes' Career Like?
Colmes started his career in comedy. He then became a radio host in the Northeast. He worked at several well-known stations in New York City and Boston. These included WABC and WNBC.
His radio career grew when WABC hired him for the morning show. He was known as "W. Alan B. Colmes." In 1987, he moved to WNBC. However, NBC decided to close its radio division in 1988. Colmes was the last voice heard when WNBC went off the air.
Colmes' own radio show was broadcast across the country. In 1996, Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News, hired him. Colmes became the co-host of Hannity & Colmes when the Fox News Channel started on October 6, 1996. The show ended on January 9, 2009.
In October 2003, Colmes published his first non-fiction book. It was called Red, White & Liberal: How Left is Right and Right is Wrong. The book discussed topics like civil rights and the war on terror. It also talked about how some people saw a liberal bias in the media.
After Hannity & Colmes, Colmes continued to appear on Fox News. He was often on The O'Reilly Factor. He also sometimes appeared on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. He was a regular panelist on the news show Fox News Watch.
How Was Alan Colmes Seen by Others?
Alan Colmes called himself a liberal. Fox News also described him as a "hard-hitting liberal." However, some people called him a "token liberal" or a "Fox News liberal." In 1995, Colmes told USA Today that he saw himself as "quite moderate." Later, in 2013, he wrote that he was "very liberal."
During Hannity & Colmes, some critics said he was less lively than Sean Hannity. They felt he was just a "seat-filler" for the liberal side. Some newspapers even called him Hannity's "sidekick."
Former Senator Al Franken wrote in his book that Colmes did not ask tough questions. He also said Colmes did not challenge wrong statements by Hannity or guests. Franken claimed Colmes did not speak as much as Hannity on the show.
In 2003, Bob Garfield asked Colmes if he was just a "human straw man" or a "foil." Colmes replied that if conservative viewers saw him that way, it was "their problem." He added that it was "more fun" to be in that situation than to only talk to people who already agreed with him.
Spoofs and Tributes
On January 5, 2009, Colmes was a guest on The Colbert Report. The show did a funny spoof called "Colbert & Colmes." It made fun of the criticisms of Hannity & Colmes. Colmes was given a list of pre-approved answers. He was also made to sit on a stool to look shorter than Stephen Colbert. Colbert even "fired" Colmes by the end of the show.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart also paid tribute to Colmes. The rock duo Hall & Oates appeared on the show. They sang a parody of their song "She's Gone." In the song, they called Colmes "Tango to his (Hannity's) Cash" and "Laurel to his Hardy."
Personal Life and Death
Alan Colmes was married to Dr. Jocelyn Elise Crowley. She is a professor at Rutgers University. Her sister, Monica Crowley, is also a well-known conservative commentator.
Colmes passed away from lymphoma on February 23, 2017. He was 66 years old. He died at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.
