Eugene Patton | 'The Dancing Machine,' 83

Eugene Patton, 83, the stagehand who became "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine" on TV's The Gong Show in the late 1970s, died in Pasadena, Calif., on March 9 of complications from diabetes.

A veteran stagehand, Mr. Patton worked on shows like Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Flip Wilson Show. He moved onstage for a dance to Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside" on The Gong Show, the absurdist talent show.

His first appearance was an attempt to kill time, but he soon became a regular, dodging objects thrown onstage as the studio audience cheered. - AP