He became the controversial king of the late night show which changed TV and brought black culture into America's living rooms.
But behind the scenes, Arsenio Hall's world was far more outrageous than his most X-rated guests.
In his upcoming new memoir titled Arsenio, Hall lifts the lid on a jaw-dropping backstage life of wild parties, A-list excess and eyebrow-raising encounters – from taking Prince to seedy strip clubs to getting teetotal high, and even a chilling run-in with OJ Simpson.
The comedian, who turned 70 last month, reveals that when the cameras stopped rolling on The Arsenio Hall Show, the real action was only just beginning.
Among the most startling claims is his account of late-night outings with Prince, who he says would study dancers in illegal after-hours clubs to understand how they made their moves.
He recalls slipping into spots like Miss Mary's in , entering through back doors guarded by pit bulls, where the singer - dressed immaculately in white - would sit silently observing the room.
Arsenio Hall turned his talk show into a cultural phenomenon, which ran for four seasons from 1989 to 1994
Hall became known for his on-screen collaboration with Eddie Murphy, but recalls a boozy, drug-fueled night with the comedian despite the star's clean-cut image at the time
There was more debauchery with late legendary comedian Richard Pryor to whom Hall once sent two strippers to cheer him up – and then forgot to pay them.
He also describes his tense confrontation with , who drove to the Paramount lot in LA to berate Hall for not inviting him on his show, despite bringing on his white co-stars of The Naked Gun.
Reflecting on that moment, Hall quips: 'If I'd known that OJ would be charged with double murder I might've put him on the first night.'
The new book paints a picture of a chaotic era in television where the line between on-screen success and off-screen excess was often blurred.
The Arsenio Hall Show ran for five years between 1989 and 1994 and featured hundreds of celebrities in what Hall hoped would be a house party on TV every night.
Hall made his show the home of hip-hop and helped break rappers like Snoop Dogg, Tupac and Ice Cube while musical guests included James Brown, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross.
Hall's new memoir – to be released on March 31 – lays bare the wild, behind-the-scenes reality of his late-night success
The Arsenio Hall show brought hip-hop and a new energy to late-night television
The show would win two Emmys and lead Hall to star in hit movies like 1988 comedy, Coming to America, alongside Murphy.
It was an astonishing achievement for the son of a single mother from Cleveland, Ohio, who idolized the talk show host Johnny Carson as a child and began his show business career aged five doing magic shows in the basement of his building.
A switch to comedy and a move to Los Angeles paved the way for Hall to be offered a guest spot hosting The Late Show on Fox after Joan Rivers, the original host, bombed.
Impressed Paramount executives offered Hall his own show, making him the first black, syndicated late night host.
The Arsenio Hall Show debuted in May 1990 and was an instant sensation, especially among younger viewers who lapped up the rowdiness led by the 'Dog Pound' – the audience who would bark at Hall when he came on stage.
Soon the show was first in the ratings among the coveted 18-35 year old age group and 'woof, woof, woof' was a national catchphrase.
The memoir details a string of shocking encounters involving the late comedian Richard Pryor, including when Hall once sent strippers to cheer up his ailing friend – then realized he couldn't pay them
In his book, Hall also claims he took Prince to seedy late-night clubs where the singer studied dancers
Among the guests who caused ratings to spike was Madonna who stunned audiences with jokes about S&M and spanking with Hall live on stage.
There were also moments that left Hall shaken, such as when he leaned in to hug guest Steven Segal and felt something hard in his jacket – only to realize it was a gun.
The show captured cultural, emotional moments. Sammy Davis Jr made one of his last TV appearances before his 1990 death, telling a rapt audience about the racism he endured while singing with Frank Sinatra.
One memorable episode was the one when three of the world's most famous boxers, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali appeared on stage together.
Another landmark booking came in the form of then–presidential candidate Bill Clinton, whose saxophone performance with the show's band became one of the most talked-about moments of the era.
In the memoir, Hall reveals that he got Clinton to appear by telling him that his presidential rival, Republican candidate George H.W. Bush, refused to come on the show.
Madonna (seen in a 1990 episode) sparked controversy with her raunchy on-air chat with the host
One of the show's most memorable moments was when then presidential candidate Bill Clinton appeared and played the saxophone with the show's band in 1998
Hall reveals he convinced Clinton's camp to appear as a guest by telling him that his presidential rival, Republican candidate George H.W. Bush, refused to come on the show
Bush's aides told Hall he was 'not a fan of the show' and 'didn't understand the success of Arsenio Hall'.
The former president would 'never do a show like ours', Hall was informed.
At the studio, the green room turned into an hours-long party after the show where celebrities would drop by even if they were not on the show.
Hall briefly dated Pamela Anderson and Paula Abdul, then a successful choreographer, and claims they were the 'Taylor and Travis of the moment' but it didn't last as both were too busy.
He hooked up basketball legend Charles Barkley with Madonna.
While Hall stops short of revealing what happened next, he notes that that year 'Charles scores more in the playoff than in regular season.'
His success brought him close to many of the stars who appeared on his show.
According to the book, Hall briefly dated singer and choreographer Paula Abdul at the height of his fame - referring to themselves as the 'Taylor and Travis' of their time
Basketball star Magic Johnson's appearance - during which he announced his HIV diagnosis - became one of the most unforgettable in the show's history
Basketball legend Magic Johnson became a friend and he had HIV.
Michael Jackson was so close to Hall that he insisted on meeting his mother in his trailer after appearing on the show.
And became good friends with Richard Pryor having met him as an up-and-coming comic soon after he arrived in Los Angeles.
As Pryor battled the multiple sclerosis at would ultimately cause his death, Hall obliged the comedian with 'favors that he (Pryor) knows the doctors have forbidden'.
One was a cigar which Pryor smoked with his 'eyes closed with pleasure', Hall writes.
Another time it was two strippers who Pryor enthusiastically agreed to.
But after they had done a private dance for Pryor – leaving glitter all over his bedroom – Hall realized he had forgotten his wallet.
Eddie Murphy and Hall spent a night commiserating after being told that, Coming to America, the groundbreaking 1988 film they were both starring in, had been [temporarily] axed.
Hall went to Murphy's house where he handed his co-star a joint and an orange and vodka.
When Murphy protested he didn't drink or smoke, Hall said: 'Except for tonight'.
Hall reveals he shared a personal friendship with Michael Jackson, who expressed disappointment when the show was pulled off air
Hall also describes a tense confrontation with OJ Simpson on the Paramount lot, after Simpson became angry for not inviting him onto the show, but hosting his Naked Gun co-stars instead
Hall writes that Murphy was so clueless he had to 'explain the inhaling process' to him.
One Friday night after the show, Hall took a nap and then went downstairs at 2am where Prince was waiting for him in a limo.
They were headed to an illegal after hours club called Miss Mary's where the guard had two pit bull dogs and showed them in the back entrance.
They stayed for two hours while Prince, in a white suit, sat at the bar staring at the strippers and dancers to try and work out what made them want to move.
In the memoir Hall says that Prince had a good sense of humor even after he mocked him in his nightly monologue for the singer's performance one year at the MTV awards where he wore pants that exposed his bare behind.
Prince sent a fax saying, 'You do jokes about my ass and I laugh at them' because they were not mean and sent over an immaculate black suit for Hall – with the butt cheeks cut out.
The run-in with OJ Simpson happened during the promotion for The Naked Gun, the police spoof which came out in 1988 starring Simpson, Leslie Nielsen, and Priscilla Presley.
Simpson personally drove over to the Paramount lot and got word to Hall he wanted to see him.
'What's up, Juice?' said Hall, he writes in the memoir, using Simpson's nickname.
A furious Simpson shot back: 'What's up? You have Leslie Nielsen on your show then you have Priscilla Presley. But the black actor in the film doesn't get so much as a call? This is supposed to be the black talk show'.
After the first three years of success, the show began to stumble and Paramount thought its appeal was too narrow.
There had been early warnings and in a shocking conversation Lucie Salhany, a senior Paramount executive who was a champion of the show, asked Hall: 'Are you going to be black every night?'
Hall showcased his comedic range alongside Eddie Murphy in 1988's Coming to America, one of his most iconic roles
The Arsenio Hall Show became a sensation when it launched in 1990, bringing hip-hop and a new energy to late-night television
She told him: 'I'm being besieged by advertisers, focus group feedback, station managers, my bosses. The show is very….black.'
Hall replied: 'I am, and always have been, black'.
In the memoir Hall writes that he felt a 'sudden chill then a shiver' and that he felt caught between being called 'too black' by Paramount and 'not black enough.'
Deeper into the show's run, the ratings began to crater because viewers preferred the edgy humor of David Letterman, who started his late night show on CBS in 1993.
Hall claims that he told Paramount he was going to quit but they buried his resignation letter and announced the show was ending, prompting many to believe Hall had been canceled.
In the memoir, Hall defiantly insists he left on his own terms after giving the show everything he had.
He writes: 'I spent the last three years fighting for the show's life and my emotional and mental health.
'I kept trying to ride in that middle lane between black and white America.
'It was difficult because the lines kept blurring. Finally, I had had enough. I decided to call it quits.'
