Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, aka Eugene Patton was a member of the stage crew and occasional performer on The Gong Show.
He was one of several amateur performers who would “warm up” and entertain the audience during commercial breaks. Host Chuck Barris found him so entertaining that he had him dance on the show on-air, and he proved so popular that he soon became a recurring act, an occasional judge, and eventually the regular closing act for the show, with the credits regularly rolling over his enthusiastic dancing, often joined by Chuck, the celebrity judges, the stage hands, and whoever else felt like joining in. His attire usually consisted of a green windbreaker jacket, bell-bottomed jeans, sneakers, a yellow polo shirt, and a black painter’s hat.
