Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: Mike Douglas ( August 11 , 1925 -- August 11 , 2006 ) was an American `` Big Band '' era singer , entertainer , and television talk show host . Douglas was born Michael Delaney Dowd , Jr. in Chicago , Illinois , and began singing as a choirboy .
Simplified: Mike Douglas , born Michael Delaney Dowd , Jr. ( August 11 , 1925 -- August 11 , 2006 ) was an American entertainer .