Lesley Stein, known professionally as Les Crane, was born on December 3, 1933, in New York City. He began his career as a radio announcer and television host before transitioning into acting. Les Crane's early radio work included stints at KONO in San Antonio and WPEN (now WKDN) in Philadelphia. In 1961, he became a prominent figure at KGO in San Francisco, known for his controversial and outspoken style. Les Crane moved to New York City in 1963 to host Night Line, a late-night talk show on WABC-TV. The show was later renamed The Les Crane Show and aired nationally starting in August 1964. It featured notable guests such as Norman Mailer, Richard Burton, and Malcolm X. Despite critical acclaim for its innovative format, the show did not achieve significant audience success. In 1971, Crane released a spoken-word recording of the poem "Desiderata", which won him a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording in Number 1 position in 1972. He also released an album titled Desiderata on May 23, 2006. Les Crane passed away on July 13, 2008.
